ABSTRACT
Darius Milhaud’s choice of representative composers and his own musical temperament revive the debate about the nature of the French musical character in France after the First World War. Milhaud can also be credited for celebrating aspects of romanticism. Milhaud's experimentation with instrumental combinations and timbres reflects a French fascination with musical colour. In fact, Milhaud was held in much higher esteem in Germany and Belgium than he was in France through most of the period under consideration. Among composers of his time, Milhaud is probably the best to refute this claim, since rhythm is an important driving force behind works such as Les Choephores and L'Homme et son desir. The importance of literature for inspiring Milhaud's musical direction has already received some recognition. Milhaud's preoccupations, activities and achievements reveal his sense of being part of the modern world and of seeking to shape it.
