Groupe des Six

Groupe des Six was an informal association of six composers in Paris during the early twentieth century who reacted against late Romanticism and Impressionism while engaging with contemporary artistic movements. The circle interacted with figures across literature, visual arts, and performing arts in Paris, collaborating on ballets, theatrical works, and concert music. Their activities intersected with key institutions and events in European cultural life during the interwar period.

Background and Formation

The formation drew together composers active in Parisian salons, concert halls, and publishing houses such as Société Nationale de Musique, Éditions Durand, and Schott Music. Early catalysts included meetings at salons hosted by Gertrude Stein associates, discussions influenced by critics like Jean Cocteau and Erik Satie, and reactions to premieres at venues like Opéra-Comique and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. The group's public visibility increased after an article by Jean Cocteau framed their aesthetic against figures such as Richard Wagner, Claude Debussy, and Richard Strauss. Political and cultural contexts—post‑World War I reconstruction, the Paris Peace Conference, and exchanges with émigré communities from Russia and Austria—shaped opportunities for commissions from institutions like the Ballets Russes and broadcasting organizations such as Radiodiffusion française.

Members and Biographies

- Georges Auric: A composer and critic who studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and worked in film with directors like Jean Cocteau and Marcel L'Herbier. Auric later held roles with Société des Concerts and contributed to scores for productions connected to Cahiers du cinéma figures. - Louis Durey: A composer associated with left‑wing politics, Durey engaged with publishers including Durand‑Salabert Eschig and collaborated with writers from the Surrealist milieu and trade union cultural programs. - Arthur Honegger: Born in Le Havre, Honegger composed large‑scale orchestral and choral works premiered by conductors such as Serge Koussevitzky and Bruno Walter and performed by orchestras like the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire. - Darius Milhaud: A prolific composer and teacher at institutions like the Conservatoire de Paris and Brooklyn College, Milhaud incorporated polytonality and jazz elements after encounters with performers from New Orleans and composers returning from Brazil. - Francis Poulenc: A composer and pianist whose songs and chamber works were premiered by singers linked to Théâtre du Vieux Colombier and Comédie-Française actors; he collaborated with poets from Les Nouvelles Littéraires circles. - Germaine Tailleferre: The only woman in the circle, Tailleferre studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and composed for ballets and film, interacting with choreographers from companies like Ballets Suédois and set designers associated with Fernand Léger.

Musical Style and Influences

The group's aesthetic positioned itself against the late works of Richard Strauss and the harmonic language of Arnold Schoenberg while selectively embracing neoclassicism as articulated by Igor Stravinsky and timbral clarity related to Maurice Ravel. Influences included popular idioms transmitted through recordings by artists like Jelly Roll Morton and performances at venues such as Le Boeuf sur le Toit. Critics noted affinities with the writings of Paul Valéry, the scenography of Sergei Diaghilev, and the literary provocations of Blaise Cendrars. The composers used forms drawn from Baroque music models revived by conductors such as Willy Hess and engaged with modern dance choreographed by figures like Léonide Massine.

Major Works and Collaborations

Collective projects and cross-disciplinary collaborations defined the period: contributions to the ballet and theatrical projects associated with Jean Cocteau and productions staged by Ballets Russes. Notable individual premieres occurred at venues such as Salle Pleyel and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and were conducted by maestros including Pierre Monteux, Arturo Toscanini, and Wilhelm Furtwängler. Major works include Milhaud's Le bœuf sur le toit and La création du monde, Honegger's oratorio Le Roi David and symphonies premiered by orchestras like the Philadelphia Orchestra, Poulenc's Gloria and numerous mélodies premiered by singers connected to Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, Auric's film scores for directors including Cocteau and Marcel Carné, Durey's chamber works performed at salons frequented by Colette, and Tailleferre's ballets and piano concertos staged with choreographers from Les Ballets 1933. Cross‑disciplinary collaborations also linked the group to painters such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Georges Braque who designed sets or inspired scenography.

Reception and Legacy

Contemporary reception ranged from enthusiastic endorsements in periodicals like Le Figaro and Mercure de France to sharp critique from proponents of serialism and late Romantic traditions such as Alban Berg and followers of Arnold Schoenberg. Retrospectives by institutions including the Bibliothèque nationale de France and programming by orchestras like the New York Philharmonic and ensembles such as Les Arts Florissants revived works across the late twentieth and early twenty‑first centuries. The composers influenced film scoring practices embraced by directors like François Truffaut and pedagogical lineages at the Conservatoire de Paris and Juilliard School. Scholarship in musicology pursued by academics at universities such as Université Paris‑Sorbonne and University of Oxford situates their output within debates about modernism, nationalism, and the interwar avant‑garde, and museum exhibitions at institutions like the Musée d'Orsay have contextualized their connections to broader currents in Parisian arts.

Category:French classical composers Category:20th-century classical music groups