BENJAMIN GODARD – Suite de trois morceaux, Op. 116 (1890)

Godard lived during La Belle Époque, the period between Franco-Prussian and the First World War that many in France considered an age of peace, prosperity, and artistic flourishing. Surrounded by this vibrant cultural atmosphere and recognised early for his composition talent, Godard began composing prodigiously from a young age. He composed works in almost every genre except church music, and he became especially celebrated for his salon works. Suite de trois morceaux exemplifies the elegant salon style of La Belle Époque. Although his career began when virtuoso performer-composers like Liszt were in rage, he favoured traditional harmonies and lyrical melodies, reflecting the early Romantic style. His remarkable output earned him recognition across Europe while still in his twenties, and contemporaries often compared him to the young Mozart.

Written for flute and piano or orchestra, this Suite was dedicated to renowned French flutist Paul Taffanel, who premiered the work with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in February 1890. Each movement is a character piece, a genre immensely popular during the Romantic era and primarily concerned with capturing certain moods, scenes or emotions rather than depicting specific external imagery such as birdsong or thunderstorms. 

This Suite consists of three contrasting movements. The opening Allegretto is graceful and light-hearted, featuring flowing scales and arpeggios that give the movement its elegant charm. The following movement, Idylle, provides a lyrical and pastoral contrast, exploring a rich variety of tonalities. The final movement, Valse (Waltz) returns to B-flat major, and uses scales and arpeggios again, reminding us of the first movement. Here, the flutist’s technical brilliance truly shines. Coinciding with the development of the Boehm flute and writing alongside composer-flutists eager to showcase the flute’s new mechanisms and possibilities, this Suite demands both agility and refinement from the flutist. The sweeping waltz alternates sparkling staccato passages with flowing legato lines at a dazzling pace.

For more than a century, Suite de trois morceaux has remained one of Godard’s most beloved works. Whether performed with piano or orchestra, it charms audiences with its elegance, lyricism, and virtuosity. However, Godard was reluctant to adopt newer musical trends, so much of his music faded from the standard repertoire after La Belle Époque. This Suite endures as one of the very few Godard works still regularly performed today.