New CD: Germaine Tailleferre & Darius Milhaud: Mélodies & Chansons Vol. 2

The multi-faceted music of Germaine Tailleferre and Darius Milhaud wanders from the smoky nightclub of Rue Chagrin to the synagogue, lingers briefly at the children’s playground, and takes us to the cotton fields of America with hints of the blues (songs based on Byron). Germaine Tailleferre also likes to make use of polytonal harmonies; at times the piano moves into harmonic realms that the singing voice does not even touch from a distance. Other pieces, however, are reminiscent of children’s songs in touching simplicity.