Paris in the 1920's - WEEK 4

I. Les Six

From left to right:

Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983), Francis Poulenc (1899–1963), Arthur Honegger (1892–1955), Darius Milhaud (1892–1974), Louis Durey (1888–1979), Georges Auric (1899–1983)

Les Six gathered every Saturday night for several years roaming the streets enjoying Paris's motley of popular entertainment. Along with poets and painters, their gatherings developed into the Bar Gaya, and subsequently into Le Boeuf sur le toit, a rather extraordinary meeting place of all the most interesting personalities in Paris.

Francis Poulenc and George Auric play PARADE, in a piano 4-hand version

Poulenc plays Satie's Gnossienne#3 and at 2:11 Gymnopédie#1. Gnossienne #1

Darius Milhaud: Scaramouche's "Brazileira" !!!
Original version: Scaramouche's "Brazileira"
Darius Milhaud: Le Boeuf sur le toit 1919-20, originally composed for a Charlie Chaplin silent movie. Set to ballet, 1920, by Cocteau, design by Raoul Dufy, cast of Cirque Medrano

Jean Cocteau at the piano surrounded by Les Six.

Ballets Russes commission:

Le Train Bleu, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, June 1924

Music by Darius Milhaud, curtain by Picasso, costumes by Coco Chanel, choreography by Bronislava Nijinska, scenario by Jean Cocteau

Two ballet excerpts from Le Train Bleu and Le Train Bleu, tennis and golf

“Le Train Bleu must not be a light work, but a monument of Frivolity!”—Jean Cocteau

Deux femmes courant sur la plage (Two Women Running on the Beach), Picasso, 1922.
Curtain for Darius Milhaud's ballet, Le Train Bleu.

Le Train Bleu, iconic lavish restaurant, Gare de Lyon, Paris.
Founded in 1901.

Also the title of Darius Milhaud's ballet on a sporting theme
set on the French Riviera.

II. "International Patriotism:" Stravinsky, Picasso, Modigliani

Paris could also be characterized by a unique sort of international patriotism. Cocteau considered the real founders of modernism to be Picasso (1881-1973), Stravinsky (1882-1971) and Modigliani (1884-1920), all 3 foreigners.

Igor Stravinsky by Arnold Newman

Stravinsky by Picasso

Portraits of Picasso
Le Mystère Picasso réalisé par Henri-Georges Clouzot

Amedeo Modigliani

Nu couché (sur le côté gauche), 1917, Modigliani.

Nu couché (Reclining Nude), 1917, Modigliani.

Nu assis sur un divan, 1917, Modigliani.

Jeune fille rousse en robe de soir, 1918, Modigliani.

III. Coco Chanel

Art encompassed street life, commerce, and personal style.

Coco Chanel was a generous, anonymous benefactor of the Ballets Russes and an intimate friend of Stravinsky and Diaghilev. She designed costumes for the Ballets Russes, alongside Picasso, notably for Darius Milhaud's Le Train Bleu in 1924.

"We always begin by making the dresses of dreams. Then, we have to cut, trim, and remove, never add."
—Gabrielle Chanel

Coco Chanel, Couture collection, 1920s.

Gabrielle Chanel by Jean Cocteau.

Édith Piaf dans "Le Bel Indifferent," a play written for her by Jean Cocteau. Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) and Edith Piaf (1915-1963) were close friends, even though Piaf was 26 years younger. Both French legends were soul mates and died on the same day, 11 October, 1963.

"My beloved Jeannot, here is a little drawing of [Edith] Piaf to distract you for five minutes. Every second I think of you and work for you. I only dream of having my eye healed enough to take the train... to enjoy time with you... I am too sad all alone."

Letter from Jean Cocteau to Jean Marais [Jeannot], his lover of 15 years, 24-years younger.

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