Danse villageoise

Claude Champagne is one of the most important Canadian musical figures of the first half of the 20th century. A prolific composer and esteemed teacher, he taught several generations of Quebec composers and was closely associated with the creation of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. Many of Champagne’s pieces echo his deep connection to his roots, such as Symphonie gaspésienne, Suite canadienne, Images du Canada français and Altitude. Danse villageoise, composed in 1929, weaves together stories of varied characters with a playful ritornello reminiscent of the fiddlers he must have heard in his youth.