On January 5, National Public Radio featured a performance of West Point Suite conducted by Laszlo Marosi. Presented on the program Composers Datebook, the broadcast marked the same date in 1952 when Milhaud’s landmark wind ensemble work premiered.
With numerous recordings to choose from, NPR opted for the performance by Franz Liszt Academy, Budapest, directed by Marosi.
The historical significance of this piece: in 1802 President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation establishing a United States Military Academy at West Point. 1952 being the sesquicentennial of that date, French composer Darius Milhaud was commissioned to write a “West Point Suite.” It was premiered by the West Point Band in Carnegie Hall with Captain Francis Resta conducting and proved to be the most successful and frequently performed work written for that event.