Pièces pittoresques

[1] The first performances of individual pieces took place on different dates: 9 April 1881 for Sous-bois, Idylle, Danse villageoise, Improvisation, Menuet pompeux, Scherzo-valse (Marie Poitevin); Mélancolie on 24 December 1887 (Marie-Léontine Bordes-Pène); others unknown.

[5] G major, 9 & 6/8; Ben moderato senza rigore et sempre tempo rubato (dedicated to Marie Pillon) About Mélancolie, Cortot was moved to write that its 'nostalgic charm and discreet perfection' defied analysis.

A minor, 3/4; Moderato (dedicated to Madame Charles Phalen) Written before Chabrier's visit to Spain but colourful and with modal touches, muted effects and plucked notes – a precursor of Debussy's Soirée dans Grenade.

E major, 4/4; Allegretto (dedicated to Jeanne Monvoisin) 'Allegretto avec fraîcheur et naïveté' albeit with some artfulness – a song ('bien chantée'), accompanied by a pizzicato effect 'un sentiment assez campagnard'.

Poulenc wrote that when he heard this piece for the first time in February 1914 he was overwhelmed: "un univers harmonique s'ouvrait soudain devant moi et ma musique n'a jamais oublie ce premier baiser d'amour".

[5] A minor, 2/4; Allegro risoluto (dedicated to Yvonne de Montesquieu) Danse villageoise, in a more traditional ternary form, provides a slightly heavy-footed contrast and illustrates the rustic spirit of Chabrier yet with precise polyphony (with some elements of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.

G minor, 3/4; Allegro franco – meno mosso e molto dolce e grazioso (dedicated to Gabrielle Petitdemange) Menuet pompeux, despite some arresting harmonies, shows Chabrier looking backward rather than forward.

[7] The instrumentation is 2 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 1 oboe, 2 clarinets in B♭ and A, 2 bassoons - 2 horns in F and E, 2 cornets à pistons in C, 3 trombones (Scherzo-Valse only) - timpani, bass drum, triangle - harp, strings.