Massenet's seven orchestral suites contain a goodly amount of tuneful trifle, and several movements which go much further, adding some real drama. This suite, however, is mostly the former. It was first performed in 1874, and proved to be one of Massenet's most popular concert works (the suite #7, "Scenes Alsaciennes", being the other). The first movement of this "picturesque" suite is a light march, the second an even lighter waltz. In both of these, gentle, graceful wisps of melody are draped across the orchestra. With the third movement, "Angelus", we move to something more substantial, a beautiful hymnlike song emphasized at times with striving orchestral tutti. The last, "Bohenian fete", is a whirligig of pretty tunes in the grand French operettic tradition.

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