Three pieces on this album were transcribed for violin and piano by the violinist Jascha Heifetz: Poulenc's Presto, Debussy's Beau soir, and Milhaud's Brazileira.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The featured composers, while maintaining a French identity, drew on diverse influences like Orientalism for Debussy, Spanish culture for Ravel and Poulenc, and South American rhythms for Milhaud.
Composition History
Milhaud's Cinéma-fantaisie, based on his work Le bœuf sur le toit, was originally intended to accompany a Charlie Chaplin film, but Chaplin never used it.
Composition History
Ravel's Violin Sonata M.12, labeled 'posthumous', was actually composed when he was a student in Gabriel Fauré's composition class in 1897.
Critical Reception
Poulenc's Violin Sonata FP119 was a public success at its premiere, even though Poulenc himself was not entirely satisfied with it.
Cultural Impact
Jean Cocteau devised a ballet-pantomime for Milhaud's Cinéma-fantaisie, set against a backdrop of Prohibition in the United States, which premiered in Paris.
Album & Artwork
The album features works by Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, and Milhaud, all of whom lived in Paris during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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