Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127

Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127, composed 1933. Unlike the grand virtuosic concertos of the Romantic tradition, Milhaud's concertos are leaner in texture and more chamber-like in their dialogue between soloist and orchestra — a reflection of the neo-classical aesthetic he shared with his friends Honegger and Poulenc. The First Concerto has three movements in a relatively compact form, with a piano part that combines idiomatic brilliance with lyrical expressiveness. The characteristic Milhaud polytonality colours the harmonic language throughout, but never at the expense of melodic clarity and rhythmic vitality.