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Choral Reviews
Choral Reviews
in “Jetés-battus (Épitaphe),” he chromatically beseech- théâtre, the panther enters solo, having engorged the
es the listeners to mourn for Idoménée who tragically dancer. This movement ends with an unaccompanied
toasted her tutu too near the fireplace. The third move- Brahmanic prayer that entreats successful digestion.
ment, “Grand-Écart” translates to “the splits.” In the Finally, in “Maryse and partner” Daunais portrays
introduction, the piano begins in prime unison and Maryse and Jos as two trapeze partners who valiantly
then expands by more than five octaves. Subsequent- execute spellbinding acrobatic acts. Lamentably, this
ly, the voices then mirror the same musical acrobatics. routine abruptly ceases with Jos’s unexplainable ab-
Unfortunately, because a nail was left precariously on sence. Daunais then punctuates Maryse’s demise with
the stage, Graziella can no longer perform the titular the pronounced interrogation, “oú est Jos?” [Where is
grand-écart. Jos?].
The composer ironically sets the fourth movement, In addition to performing the work in its entirety,
“Adagio,” to a lively tarantella. In this miniature, two conductors might consider excising various movements
onlookers witness Saltarello in a sartorial scandal for a concert. This simplification will provide the flavor
while performing his adagio. In the fifth movement, of the work while also reducing the difficulty. Move-
“Bayadère,” Daunais reveals the dancer’s striking en- ments five and six are the most substantial and could
try for a performance on the back of a panther after be excerpted as stand-alone pieces. Another option is
a rhapsodic piano introduction. In a dramatic coup de to pair this work with other repertoire based around
60 CHORAL JOURNAL August 2025 Volume 66 Number 1
