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6 pieces
This Suite of short pieces for piano four hands was written for pedagogical purposes, with the "secunda" part enabling the professor to sustain the melodic "prima" part played by the student. This seemingly simple score nonetheless conceals a few unforeseen difficulties such as the delicate setting up of the rhythm in the ?fth piece, this boisterous Gitana which, one must admit, is unexpected in the universe of Jean Langlais. But, as he liked to repeat: "A composer must belie his reputation". The entire Suite is steeped in a modal atmosphere in which melody is at the forefront - One will notice that the Danse armoricaine (2) pre?gures, albeit in a less developed manner, the Danse bretonne from the Suite Armoricaine of 1938.
Marie-Louise Langlais
Extract from CD booklet Musique de Chambre avec Piano (March 2001)
