Henk van Lijnschooten

Suite de Salon

Commissioned by the NIB, the Dutch Wind Music Institute, with the financial support of the 'Fonds voor de scheppende Toonkunst'.CommentaryThis suite brings us back to the 18th century when an important part of the musical life took place in the salons, the favorite quarters of monarchs and important people.There is a ball and we can hear the music in four successive short movements.1. Entree. After an opening fanfare we see the solemn reception of the guests. The composer uses some 17th century musical principles such as the echo dynamics.2. Invitation a la Danse. The guests proceed to the ballroom and are officially introduced. This movement has a 'classical' character.3. Chiaconna. A solemn dance of Spanish origin with a single theme that is repeated with different embellishments and accompaniments.4. Danse Finale. A cheerful dance announces the departure of the guests, but, for sure, the feast will have lasted much longer than this suite.