Maurice, Paule - Tableaux de Provence
"Pictures of Provence" is a programmatic work composed by Paule Maurice (Sept. 29, 1910 - August 18, 1967) between 1948 and 1955 for alto saxophone and orchestra, most often performed with piano accompaniment only. It was dedicated to French saxophone virtuoso, Marcel Mule. The movements describe the culture and scenery of Provence, southeast France, where the Mules, Paule Maurice and her husband, composer Pierre Lantier, spent vacation time together. Tableaux de Provence was first recorded by Marcel Mule in 1957 on the Selmer release Marcel Mule, with Solange Robin on piano. It was premiered on December 9, 1958 by Jean-Marie Londeix with the Orchestre Symphonique Brestois and may well be Paule Maurice's greatest work.
Tableaux de Provence has five movements:
I. Farandoulo di chatouno / Farandole des jeunes filles (Farandole of young women)
A light fluffiness and innocence makes this movement sound slightly Debussian. A childlike hopscotch dance reminds one of Tolstoy's young Natasha from 'War and Peace'. The opening phrase establishes a sprightly lydian sonority which is followed by slightly augmented phrases as though the girls have suddenly picked streaming flags to add even more vivacity to their dance. The piano accompaniment is lightly textured and shifts quite quickly to lydian dominant and lydian augmented harmony, as the piece progresses. Although some of the middle section's material sounds a little strange, there's no sense of menace, only 'mild peril' which is soon extinguished as the children run away in glee from the pretend giant or monster. A false leading note leads back into a restatement of the opening material which provides a clever sonic refocusing. End of first movement can be ghost tongued.
II. Cansoun per ma mio / Chanson pour ma mie (Song for my love)
The piece begins almost with standard guitar tuning notes. The guitar inference is like a minstrel beneath his lover's window. The spread chords also suggest strumming. The movement would work well as an arrangement for guitar and sax.
III. La boumiano / La bohémienne (The Bohemian woman, or The Gypsy)
A slightly caricatured description of an angry gypsy woman, perhaps weilding a rolling pin at some belligerent. The open 5ths at the begining add a low end punch and heighten the faux-aggresion. The major ending maintains the light mood of the piece.
IV. Dis alyscamps l'amo souspire / Des alyscamps l'âme soupire (A Sigh of the soul for the Alyscamps)
There is a sadness here, with a slight nod to Messiaen's 'Quartet for the End of Time'. The Alyscamps is a large Roman necropolis near Arles. Seems like the most serious movement, by some measure. There are moments where the phrases surprisingly disintegrate, painting the picture of a faded glory, hazy at first then coming to life before the sands of time blow all away again. Maurice's unusual use of rests is notable in this movement.
Lou cabridan / Le cabridan (The Bumblebee)
I'm not sure in what way the bumblebees of Provence are any different to bumblebees elsewhere (nor for that matter why a 'Song for my Love' would be any different anywhere else), but it's a cheerful, busy little movement. The Rimsky-Korsakov reference is obvious, and would also pair well with the Bozza Caprice. The orchestral arrangements of this piece brings out the pastoral quality far more, particularly through the string writing. There appears to be a small influence of Beethoven evident alonside the neo-classical language.
Tableaux de Provence has five movements:
I. Farandoulo di chatouno / Farandole des jeunes filles (Farandole of young women)
A light fluffiness and innocence makes this movement sound slightly Debussian. A childlike hopscotch dance reminds one of Tolstoy's young Natasha from 'War and Peace'. The opening phrase establishes a sprightly lydian sonority which is followed by slightly augmented phrases as though the girls have suddenly picked streaming flags to add even more vivacity to their dance. The piano accompaniment is lightly textured and shifts quite quickly to lydian dominant and lydian augmented harmony, as the piece progresses. Although some of the middle section's material sounds a little strange, there's no sense of menace, only 'mild peril' which is soon extinguished as the children run away in glee from the pretend giant or monster. A false leading note leads back into a restatement of the opening material which provides a clever sonic refocusing. End of first movement can be ghost tongued.
II. Cansoun per ma mio / Chanson pour ma mie (Song for my love)
The piece begins almost with standard guitar tuning notes. The guitar inference is like a minstrel beneath his lover's window. The spread chords also suggest strumming. The movement would work well as an arrangement for guitar and sax.
III. La boumiano / La bohémienne (The Bohemian woman, or The Gypsy)
A slightly caricatured description of an angry gypsy woman, perhaps weilding a rolling pin at some belligerent. The open 5ths at the begining add a low end punch and heighten the faux-aggresion. The major ending maintains the light mood of the piece.
IV. Dis alyscamps l'amo souspire / Des alyscamps l'âme soupire (A Sigh of the soul for the Alyscamps)
There is a sadness here, with a slight nod to Messiaen's 'Quartet for the End of Time'. The Alyscamps is a large Roman necropolis near Arles. Seems like the most serious movement, by some measure. There are moments where the phrases surprisingly disintegrate, painting the picture of a faded glory, hazy at first then coming to life before the sands of time blow all away again. Maurice's unusual use of rests is notable in this movement.
Lou cabridan / Le cabridan (The Bumblebee)
I'm not sure in what way the bumblebees of Provence are any different to bumblebees elsewhere (nor for that matter why a 'Song for my Love' would be any different anywhere else), but it's a cheerful, busy little movement. The Rimsky-Korsakov reference is obvious, and would also pair well with the Bozza Caprice. The orchestral arrangements of this piece brings out the pastoral quality far more, particularly through the string writing. There appears to be a small influence of Beethoven evident alonside the neo-classical language.