Pavane (from "Children's Suite")

A pavane is a slow and courtly processional dance that originated in Renaissance Europe and became a favorite, in more elaborate form, of late Romantic era composers. Ravel's "Pavane for a Dead Princess" is perhaps the most famous of these, and he composed versions both for orchestra and solo piano. The Pavane at hand is a bit simpler, and more joyous. It is reminiscent of a medieval madrigal (one can easily imagine the melodies being played on a lute or guitar) ; the "chorus" harmonies hint at Borodin, and the extended middle section in which the left hand takes the melody hints at Dvorak's "From the New World" symphony, though neither in an overt or derivative fashion.