Charles Bordes (1863-1909) was born in the French village of La Roche-Corbon. He entered the Paris Conservatory, where he studied piano with Antoine Marmontel and composition with César Franck. He worked as an organist and choir director. In 1897, he published Archives de la tradition basque, an ethnomusicological study commissioned by the French minister of public education. It was based on his numerous travels through the Basque lands. He was also a co-founder, along with Vincent d'Indy and Alexandre Guilmant, of the Schola Cantorum, which became the second most important conservatory in France.
The Suite Basque was one of his earliest works, dating from 1887. It is a quintet for flute, two violins, viola, and cello. Unlike many such works, it is not a vehicle for the flute, though it is generously treated, it is often an equal voice with the strings. All of the voices receive solos. It opens with a Prelude which sounds mysterious and somewhat sad. The second movement, Intermezzo, is subtitled tempo di zortzico, which is a lively dance that originated in the Basque lands. In part, a rhythmic dance, in part a lyrical interlude. Third is a movement marked Paysage, which roughly translates to a rural scene. Here, the mood is meditative, and the tempo is quite slow. The finale, Pordon Dantza (usually spelled Bordon Dantza, meaning Walking Stick Dance) is another traditional Basque dance said to have originated in the city of Tolosa, a Basque town in northern Spain. Bordes instructs the players that it is a march but not to be played too fast.
This wonderful work has been out of print for many years now, and we are pleased to bring it back. It should interest both amateurs and professionals alike.
