Jacob de Haan

Town of the Seven Hills

This suite tells the story of the French town 'Tulle' in the 'Nouvelle-Aquitaine'. Tulle was built on seven hills, just like Rome and Lisbon, and is beautifully situated on the river Corrèze. The first movement opens with a stately introduction, which is followed by a historic march through the streets of Tulle. We pass Notre Dame cathedral and the characteristic houses from the Middle Ages and Renaissance period, i. e. the 'Maison de Loyac'. Tulle was once the centre of the production of 'tulle', a net-like fabric that is named after this town. This is what the second movement is all about, and at certain moments the music sounds very graceful because tulle is often used as a material for ballet skirts and wedding dresses. The third movement was written to commemorate the blood bath of Tulle in June 1944. During a retaliatory action by the German SS, a large number of Tulle's citizens were killed. The emotions expressed here are a combination of grief and comfort. In the last movement, the festive sounds of the annual fair held in May on the 'Champs de Mars' and the 'Place de la Cathédrale', can be heard.