Negrophilia: The Art of Milhaud’s La Création du monde

musicalgeography.org/2015/10/14/negrophilia-the-art-of-milhauds-la-creation-du-monde/

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The idea of Negrophilia originated way before the era of 1920s Paris. Jazz in Paris had
evolved into a new cultural idea that was a fascination for the French people. It was brought
by American Military bands in 1917. French society was
enamored with what it brought to their culture but was
ambivalent in whether it was a positive or negative aspect. Its
ideals created controversy through various forms of art
especially music. Darius Milhaud’s La Création du Monde is a
prime example of utilizing african roots and implementing them
into the French music but generated various attitudes after its
premiere.

La Création du Monde ballet premiered in Théâtre des Champs-

Élysées on October 25, 1923. This particular piece was created
after Milhaud ventured to New York and experienced Harlem jazz. He was very fascinated
by the African roots and emotion that
underlied the music. After coming back to
Paris, he decided to implement the jazz
elements he had encountered into his
music. It was a large production that
included the wonderful contributions of
Blaise Cendrars (Story through African
Folk Mythology), Fernand Léger (Set
Design and Costumes), Jean Börlin
(Choreographer), and Ballet suédois.

The premiere was successful but not in the way it should have been. Critics had various
views ranging from love for it and calling the work out as racism. In Gendron’s article
“Negrophilia” he quotes Milhaud’s reaction to negative critics: “critics decree my music was
frivolous and more suitable for a restaurant or dance hall than for the concert hall”.[1] But
Milhaud was unlike other modern composers.
He did not appropriate jazz for
experimentation, he saw it as an innovative
art from that told stories. He felt that modern
composers should promote the “sonoric and
rhythmic innovations for the concert setting”
because most had failed to show the
potentialities of jazz when innovating them in
their works.[2]

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French society was celebrating Jazz but through negative appropriation. Darius Milhaud
was one of few individuals who viewed the exotic form of jazz as an art worth respecting.
He did not attempt to negatively appropriate but rather to celebrate it and give it the honor it
deserved. He felt it was more than just entertainment but exemplified the history of African
roots. Although its elements were exploited, it provided French culture with a new
innovative outlook on jazz.

[1] Gendron, “Negrophilia,” in Between Montmartre and the Mudd Club: Popular Music and
the Avant-Garde (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002), 101.

[2] Gendron, “Negrophilia,” in Between Montmartre and the Mudd Club: Popular Music and
the Avant-Garde (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002), 87.

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