''Tableaux de Provence'' ("Pictures of Provence") is a programmatic suite composed by

Paule Maurice Paule Charlotte Marie Jeanne Maurice (29 September 1910 – 18 August 1967) was a French composer. Life and career Maurice was born in Paris to Raoul Auguste Alexandre Maurice and Marguerite Jeanne Lebrun. Registration lists at the Conservato ...

(Sept. 29, 1910 – August 18, 1967) between 1948 and 1955 for

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

and orchestra, most often performed with piano accompaniment only. The work was dedicated to French saxophone virtuoso,

Marcel Mule Marcel Mule (24 June 1901 – 18 December 2001) was a French classical saxophonist. He was known worldwide as one of the great classical saxophonists, and many pieces were written for him, premiered by him, and arranged by him. Many of these pi ...

. The movements describe the culture and scenery of

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

, southeast

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, 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 Jean-Marie Londeix (20 September 1932 – 3 March 2025) was a French saxophonist who studied saxophone, piano, harmony and chamber music.Ingham, Richard (ed.)''The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone'' Cambridge University Press (1998) p. 169. Um ...

with the Orchestre Symphonique Brestois. ''Tableaux de Provence'' has five movements: * ''Farandoulo di chatouno'' / Farandole des jeunes filles ( Farandole of the young girls) * ''Cansoun per ma mio'' / Chanson pour ma mie (Song for my love) * ''La boumiano / La bohémienne'' (The Bohemian woman, or The Gypsy) * ''Dis alyscamps l'amo souspire'' / Des alyscamps l'âme soupire (A Sigh on the soul for the Alyscamps) * ''Lou cabridan'' / Le cabridan (The Southern Hornet) The fourth movement, ''Dis alyscamps l'amo souspire'', is said to have been written first, as Maurice was mourning the death of her husband’s cousin.

References

* ''Tableaux de Provence'' for saxophone and piano, Paule Maurice. (Lemoine) Sheet music ASIN: B000JJJDYG * ''A Comprehensive Guide to the Saxophone Repertoire, 1844-2003'' by

* ''Jean-Marie Londeix: Master of the Modern Saxophone'' by James Umble * '' The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone'' by Richard Ingham * ''

, His Life, and the Saxophone'' by Eugene Rousseau * '' Sax,

Mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...

& Co'' by

Jean-Pierre Thiollet Jean-Pierre Thiollet (; born 9 December 1956) is a French writer and journalist. He is also affiliated with the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, a European trade union. Career Thiollet attended a school in Châtelleraul ...

External links

* http://www.paulemaurice.com * http://studentsofpaulemaurice.ning.com/notes/Jean-Marie_Londeix * http://www.studentsofpaulemaurice.ning.com * http://studentsofpaulemaurice.ning.com/xn/detail/3127800:Note:363?xg_source=activity {{Authority control Compositions for saxophone and piano Compositions for saxophone and orchestra 1955 compositions Suites (music) Provence