20th century
Baroque
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Solo repertoire
Piccolo
Alto flute
Bass flute
Bolling Claude
Aitken, Robert
Amirov, Fikret
Amlin, Martin
Amram, David
Andriessen, Jurriaan
Arnold, Malcolm
Arrieu, Claude
Auric, Georges
Babbit, Milton
Bacchus, Peter
Bacri, Nicolas
Baker, Michael Conway
Baksa, Robert
Barber, Samuel
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Berg, Gunnar
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Bolling, Claude
Bon, Maarten
Bonis, Mel
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Tomasi, Henri
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Weigl, Vally
Weinberg, Mieczysław
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Picnic Suite for flute and piano
Picnic Suite for flute and piano
Claude Bolling: Picnic Suite for flute and piano was written in 1980, originally for flute, classical guitar, and jazz piano trio (piano, bass, and drums). It was composed for and recorded by the legendary French flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and classical guitarist Alexandre Lagoya, alongside Bolling himself on piano.
The title "Picnic Suite" was chosen primarily as a metaphor for the work’s diverse, relaxed, and "outdoor" character, rather than a reference to a specific event or film.
Just as a picnic involves a variety of different foods brought together in one basket, the suite is a "musical picnic" of styles. It blends Baroque (Rococo/Canon), Renaissance (Madrigal), Jazz, and Contemporary idioms. Bolling intended the title to reflect this casual, eclectic mixture.
Unlike his previous suites, which focused on a single soloist, this work features two world-class soloists with very different "flavors"—Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute) and Alexandre Lagoya (guitar). Bolling described the interaction between the delicate guitar, the agile flute, and the driving jazz trio as a pleasant, sunlit gathering of friends.
The movements are generally lighter, more melodic, and more "pastoral" than the strictly urban jazz feel of his 1975 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio. Titles like Madrigal and Tendre evoke the tradition of French outdoor music and fêtes galantes.
By 1980, Bolling was a global sensation in the "crossover" genre. His earlier Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (1973) had been on the Billboard classical charts for years. Picnic Suite was a highly anticipated follow-up that expanded the palette to include classical guitar, successfully reaching No. 22 on the Billboard charts by 1982.
Claude Bolling (piano), Alexandre Lagoya (guitar), Guy Pedersen (bass), Daniel Humair (drums), 1980, Sony Classical
1. Rococo
Claude Bolling (piano), Alexandre Lagoya (guitar), Guy Pedersen (bass), Daniel Humair (drums), 1980, Sony Classical
2. Madrigal
Claude Bolling (piano), Alexandre Lagoya (guitar), Guy Pedersen (bass), Daniel Humair (drums), 1980, Sony Classical
3. Gaylancholic
Claude Bolling (piano), Alexandre Lagoya (guitar), Guy Pedersen (bass), Daniel Humair (drums), 1980, Sony Classical
4. Fantasque
Claude Bolling (piano), Alexandre Lagoya (guitar), Guy Pedersen (bass), Daniel Humair (drums), 1980, Sony Classical
5. Canon
Claude Bolling (piano), Alexandre Lagoya (guitar), Guy Pedersen (bass), Daniel Humair (drums), 1980, Sony Classical
6. Tendre
Claude Bolling (piano), Alexandre Lagoya (guitar), Guy Pedersen (bass), Daniel Humair (drums), 1980, Sony Classical
7. Badine
Bolling Claude
Claude Bolling (1930-2020) was a French jazz pianist, composer, and conductor, recognized as a pioneer of the "crossover" genre that bridged jazz and classical music.
Born in Cannes, France, he began piano lessons at age 11 at the urging of his mother, Geneviève, who recognized his early artistic sensibility.
During World War II, his family moved to Nice, where he studied with Marie-Louise "Bob" Colin, a versatile musician who played piano, trumpet, and drums. During this period, he discovered jazz through illegal 78 r.p.m recordings while the genre was largely suppressed under the Nazi occupation.
By age 14, he had won a jazz piano contest organized by Jazz Hot magazine and was performing professionally with visiting American jazz stars like Lionel Hampton and Roy Eldridge. He later studied at the Nice Conservatory and in Paris with masters such as Germaine Mounier (classical piano), Maurice Duruflé (harmony), and André Hodeir (orchestration).
In the late 1960s, he played a major role in the revival of jazz music in Europe. He had many successful collaborations with classical musicians like Jean-Pierre Rampal, Pinchas Zukerman, Maurice André, and Yo-Yo-Ma, as well as many greatest jazz musicians: Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Stéphane Grappelli, etc., that led to many concert appearances and recordings.
Bolling was a prolific composer for the screen, writing scores for over 100 films, including Borsalino and the American film The Holiday.