Les Six

Les Six is a name, inspired by The Five, given in 1920 by critic Henri Collet to a group of six composers working in Montparnasse whose music is often seen as a reaction against Wagnerism and Impressionism.

Music by Erik Satie and Les Six

• Parade – Satie, and some noise-making instruments added by Cocteau (no direct relation with Les Six: composed and premiered before the first ideas about the Nouveaux Jeunes emerged, by people that would never formally be members of the Groupe des Six: Satie, Cocteau, Picasso, Ballets Russes)
• (presented as a Nouveaux Jeunes production:) Second set of furniture music: Chez un 'bistrot and Un Salon (1920) – Satie (premiered with Milhaud)
• Les Mariés de la Tour Eiffel (1921) – collaboration project by Milhaud - Auric - Tailleferre - Honneger - Poulenc, on a scenario by Cocteau.
• Mercure – Satie, and Salade – Milhaud, premiered 1924 in a production of Count Etienne de Beaumont (for these productions there was however more involvement of Ballets Russes performers, than of the Groupe des Six).
• Romance sans paroles – Durey
• Cinq Bagatelles – Auric
• Sonate pour violoncelle et piano – Poulenc (see also Category of Poulenc compositions)
• Scaramouche – Milhaud
• Le Boeuf sur le Toit – Milhaud
• Sonate pour violon seul – Honegger
• Suite Burlesque – Germaine Tailleferre

Individual compositions not related to Les Six:

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• Gnossiennes – Satie (as 19th century compositions no relation with Les Six: the Nouveaux Jeunes were initiated by Satie because Ravel's original Jeunes had no interest in Satie's post-Schola compositions, which puts these 19th century compositions completely out of the picture for the Groupe des Six)
• Trois Gymnopédies – Satie (idem as for Gnossiennes)