Not a single critic understood what drove me to write these songs," wrote Darius Milhaud of his song cycle Machines agricoles (1919). 1 Milhaud chose not to acknowledge that his critics' confusion was largely justified.In Machines agricoles, the typical chamber orchestration and polytonality of Milhaud's early works served as a setting for highly unusual texts: excerpts from a farm machinery catalogue.From its opening moments, Machines agricoles dares listeners not to laugh at its central conceit.As viola, clarinet, and flute present gentle, pentatonic melodies in different keys, the soprano earnestly sings the text, "The harvester is used particularly in places where the straw is of poor quality; it is a machine that, thanks to its broad blade, makes it possible to harvest twelve to fifteen hectares per day." 2 Example 1: Milhaud's Machines agricoles, beginning of first movement, "La Moissonneuse Espigadora."
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