Franco Cesarini

Pastorale de Provence

Cesarini composed this work as a tribute to the memory of Darius Milhaud, born a century earlier in Aix-en-Provence, France. The premiere, conducted by the composer, was presented by the Civic Philharmonic of Balerna in December, 1992. The titles of the four-part suite include: La Villageoise (The Village Maiden), Le petit berger (The Little Shepherd), La Princesse (The Princess) and Le Lutin (The Imp). The numerous musical reference themes begin with five folksongs from the Provence region and continue with melodies written by French composers of the seventeenth century. Additional interest is created by the use of old dance forms (Ronde, Musette, Pavane and Farandole) toillustrate each historical character.