Commissioned by Grégoire Girard and César Birschner, to whom it is dedicated, Un Français à Rio is a collection of five pieces for violin and piano that can be played independently. Each one is presented as a tribute to an iconic composer of the 1920s.
The first, "In homage to Poulenc," and the fourth, "In homage to Honegger," echo each other through their harmonic sways and rhythmic hip movements that outline an imaginary choreography. In the second, "In homage to Villa-Lobos," which is all about light touches, only the crackling of the violin trills occasionally breaks the murmur of the bariolage. From Milhaud, the third piece captures the mischievous, teasing spirit, with its encounters of spicy notes over an eighth-note ostinato. As for the "In homage to Auric," it unfolds a series of variations, sometimes nervous, sometimes consoling, on a theme resembling a lullaby.
nl 
