Le Carnaval d’Aix, Op. 83b

Fantaisie for piano and orchestra, Op. 83b, composed 1926. Based on themes from Milhaud's 1924 ballet 'Salade', which in turn drew on stock commedia dell'arte characters from his native Provence. The fantaisie weaves these popular-style themes into an orchestral tapestry with a prominent piano part, exploiting the characteristic Provençal rhythms and Milhaud's polytonal harmonies. The work has a light, festive, Mediterranean character quite different from the polytonal severity of his more abstract works: it is Milhaud in his most accessible and charming mode, evoking the heat, colour, and festivity of a Provençal carnival.