Suite bretonne (from French, Breton Suite), Op. 21, is a suite for solo organ by French composer Marcel Dupré.
Background The Suite bretonne was written at an uncertain time around 1923 and was dedicated to mademoiselle Hilda Gélis-Didot, a close friend of the Dupré family and a relative of the Firmin Didot family, long associated with publications of the Institut de France. Organist Graham Steed suggests the suite was written in the United States, as the third movement uses chimes instead of the flûte registration in the organ, suggesting he was familiar with registrations in American organs. It premiered in 1923 in New York City and was published in Paris in 1924, by Alphonse Leduc.
Structure The suite is divided into three movements and scored for solo organ. It has an approximate total duration of 13 minutes. The following is a list of movements:
The first movement represents a cradle song which uses a largely chromatic language in the melody and harmonies and is supported by an ostinato. The second movement represents a woman spinning wool, and the third movement portrays Breton villagers walking to church in step with the sound of bells in this small coastal town of Perros-Guirec between Brest and Saint-Malo
Recordings It is not uncommon for organists to perform individual movements from this suite in their recordings. Dupré himself recorded the first movement on June 18, 1929, in the Queen's Hall, in London. The following is a list of complete recordings of this piece: +Recordings of Dupré's Suite BretonneOrganDate of recordingPlace of recordingLabelJeremy FilsellSeptember 1998St Boniface Episcopal Church, Sarasota, Florida, USAGuildRobert DelcampSeptember 1999Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia, USANaxos
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