Durey's political views led him to join the French Communist Party in the mid-1930s and he was active in the Resistance during the German occupation of France.
Composition History
Durey's 'Le Bestiaire ou Cortège d'Orphée' was composed at the same time as Francis Poulenc's song cycle on the same text by Guillaume Apollinaire, a coincidence according to both composers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Louis Durey aimed to write simple music for ordinary people, engaging for many years with the 'Féderation Musicale Polpulaire', a workers' music association.
Composer Biography
Louis Durey was the oldest member of the 'Groupe des Six', a group of young French composers, but he often felt he didn't belong and distrusted Jean Cocteau's leadership.
Compositional Technique
Louis Durey was the first French composer to intensively study Arnold Schoenberg's music, particularly 'Das Buch der hängenden Gärten', which influenced his increasingly complex harmonies.
Recording & Production
MDG recordings are produced in natural acoustics, refraining from artificial reverberation, sound filters, or limiters to achieve genuine reproduction with precise depth and natural tone colors.
Composer Biography
Louis Durey, despite an impressive catalog of over 120 compositions and support from figures like Maurice Ravel, is largely unknown today.
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