Performed by Olivier Gardon

I - Aubade. Allegro: 0:00
II - Idylle. Cantabile: 3:05
III - Divertissement. Presto: 6:52
IV - Legende Bourguignonne. Andantino: 8:57
V - A l'Angelus du soir. Larghetto: 12:43
VI - Danse rustique. Risoluto: 17:38
VII - Clair de lune. Andante sostenuto: 19:49

The Suite Bourguignonne by Louis Vierne is a suite of seven brief pieces for piano. Composed during the summer of 1899, the first performance of the work took place on May 2, 1900 at the Société de musique nouvelle by its dedicatee Juliette Toutain. Several years after, Vierne orchestrated four movements of the suite, performed on May 19, 1910 at Salle Pleyel, by the Orchester des Concerts du Conservatoire under the direction of Philippe Gaubert.

In May 1898, Louis Vierne met Arlette Taskin. The attraction they feel for each other led them to become engaged as early as October 8, and to marry on April 20, 1899: "Assuredly the love sentiment favors creative inspiration, because two important works mark out this period", the Suite Bourguignonne for piano ("smiling, juvenile, marked by Franck, Fauré and even Chabrier") and the first of the Symphonies for organ.

The title chosen, "Suite Bourguignonne", is surprising: "Vierne was not from Burgundy and the work does not seem to be specifically Burgundian in inspiration. We are far from Maurice Emmanuel (a great friend of Vierne) who has so finely illustrated the folklore of this region. So, what to think? Vierne never had chosen a title lightly, it is necessary to believe, for lack of something better, that the Taskin family had Burgundian ties. In any case, this does not call into question the interest of these seven pieces".

The success with the public encouraged his author to perform an orchestration of four pieces: Aubade, Légende Bourguignonne, À l'Angélus du soir and Danse rustique, as Ravel had to do for some pieces of the Tomb of Couperin. The new orchestral suite was presented in public on 19 May 1910 at Salle Pleyel, by the Orchester des Concerts du Conservatoire under the direction of Philippe Gaubert. The public and critical success was immense, the press hailing "an orchestration worthy of the Russians."

According to Bernard Gavoty, "everything is not the same vein in this Suite; a harsh criticism might accuse the somewhat unconventional character of certain pieces, which, like the Aubade and the Danse rustique, were successful elsewhere. Perhaps the A Angelus du soir also sings his notes in a sky too blue with too pink clouds. But who would find fault with the charming Idylle, with his couplets and ingenuous melody, which already foreshadows the Andante of the Sonata for violin and piano, or the Legend, a complaint apparently collected from the toothless mouth of an old peasant woman, is it at least the impression given by the theme and the obstinate, subtly archaic accompaniment? Divertissement is short and fleeting, and Clair de lune, a contemporary betrothal, says with few notes the marvelous happiness of the young artist, for we must, obviously, this sunny page at this happy period of his life."

Sources from the French article of wikipedia: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suite_b...