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In the 1920s, Frenchman Darius Milhaud (1892–1974) and Brazilian Heitor VillaLobos (1887–1959), inspired by the carnival, created works that resemble each other in genre and scoring. These are the fantasias for piano and orchestra: Mômoprecóce by Villa-Lobos and Le Carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b by Milhaud. The article presents an attempt to analyse the pieces in the context of carnivalesque aesthetics as well as musical representation (as described by Peter Kivy and Lawrence Kramer) and seeks to deeply comprehend the phenomenon’s resonance in the composers’ music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Darius Milhaud (1892–1974) is one of the leading composers of the French avantgarde in the 20th century. His stylistic idiom was formed under the influence of the folklore of various cultures from around the world, which he encountered during his numerous travels. One of the compositions inspired by foreign elements, both musical and cultural, is the fantasia Le Carnaval d'Aix op. 83b (1926) for piano and orchestra. The analysis from the genre perspective aims to examine the musical poetics of the composition (including Milhaud’s specific neoclassical strategies) and its links with Carnival. As a result, a dualistic perspective towards the musical language of the composer is proposed as exemplified by the work in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to examine the circumstances of Milhaud and Villa-Lobos’s encounter, who are the significant figures of 20th century French and Brazilian avant-garde. The analysis of the principle aspects of youthful inspirations, musical approaches and personalities as per Mieczysław Tomaszewski’s concept of the integral interpretation, presents the impact of cultural milieux on artists’ aesthetics, together with their apparent fascination with Carnival. Additionally, the study highlights a connection between the composers’ natures and the fantasy implied either as a category or a genre fantasia. As a result, various analogies are identified linking the composers’ life and musical language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]