BBC Scottish Orchestra
(Leader, J. Mouland Begbie )
Conducted by Royalton Kisch
Milhaud's First Symphony, compl led in Aix-en-Provence in December 1939, was commissioned by Dr. Frederick Stock for the fiftieth anniversary of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and first performed by the Orchestra during its Jubilee season in 1940 under the composer's direction. Milhaud said at the time that he was grateful for the commission, since ' it brought him back to composing in the midst of difficult and tragic even s.' The Symphony has four movements: Pastoral, Très vif, Tres modéré, and F.nal.
Harold Rutland