Between 1919 and 1920, the French composer Darius Milhaud set out to create “fifteen minutes of music, rapid and gay, as a background to any Charlie Chaplin silent movie.”
The result was Le Boeuf sur le toit, a jubilant and colorful work for chamber orchestra. The title translates as “The Ox on the Roof.” It may have been taken from the sign-board of a tavern. Or perhaps it was inspired by a Parisian urban legend about a man who lived on the top floor of a flat with a pet calf that quickly and disastrously turned into a full-grown ox. The composer insisted that the title referenced a Brazilian folk dance. He wrote, “haunted by my memories of Brazil, I assembled some popular melodies – tangos, maxixes, sambas, and even a Portuguese fado – and transcribed them with a rondo-like section recurring between each successive pair.”
Milhaud’s music was not premiered as incidental music for a Chaplin film. Instead, it became the score for a Surrealist ballet by Jean Cocteau, performed by clown-acrobats from the acclaimed circus troupes, the Cirque Médrano and the Fratellini. Later, Milhaud explained that his uptempo music accompanied choreographed movements which suggested “a slow-motion film.” The ballet’s scenario has been described as “pleasantly devoid of all meaning.” (Harding) The music is a cheerful romp which combines Latin-American swing with quirky moments of polytonality, in which more than one key is heard simultaneously.
Recordings
- Milhaud: Le Boeuf sur le toit, Op. 58, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Ulster Orchestra chandos.net
Featured Image: “Le Boeuf sur le toit,” a 1920 illustration from the ballet, Raoul Dufy