French composer and teacher, Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) was a prolific composer of the 20th Century as a member of 'Les Six'. His compositions remain highly regarded, Four Faces being no exception.

Milhaud's compositions are influenced by jazz and polytonality, as exemplified in Four Faces. The fourth of Four Faces, 'The Parisian Woman', is an alternative, exciting piece for advanced violists. Composed in 1943, Milhaud makes use of harmonics, complex rhythms, ornamentation, altering time signatures and clefs, double stops, variation in dynamics and a wide tessitura, among other aspects. Milhaud's Four Faces is essential to all aspiring violists.