ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the ways in which Darius Milhaud fuses together unconnected musical elements, past and present. It considers the impact of his engagement with notions of French and other traditions had on the structure and style of a number of his works. In the third movement of the Fourth Chamber Symphony Milhaud combines Baroque mannerisms, fugal writing and polytonality. The first movement of the Fourth Chamber Symphony resembles a concerto grosso in its alternation between tutti and concertino sections. Milhaud's attitude to the past and tradition changed significantly in the mid 1930s. Milhaud's interest in Anet might have been understandable and perhaps overlooked if short-lived, but he was to return to Anet several times. Milhaud retains Anet's bass and melodic line, assigning his bassoon, cello and double bass to Anet's bass line, and the flute and harpsichord to Anet's melody line, but increasing the distance between the two lines by an octave.
