Psyché et Éros
from the Symphonic Poem “Psyché”

César Franck, composer, pianist, organist and music teacher, completed Cupid and Psyché, his sixth and last symphonic poem in 1887. It was first performed in Paris in 1888 and was a complete success, but the piece later fell completely into oblivion, and it was only thanks to some meticulous research that it has returned to concert halls. The intricate love affair between Psyche and Cupid is an original story of the Metamorphoses written in the 2nd century AD by Apuleius. The tale is about overcoming obstacles in love and their final union. The symphonic poem is divided into three parts and calls for a choir. The movement that is the subject of this arrangement, Psyché et Éros is positioned at the end of the second part.

Franco Cesarini’s version for wind orchestra carefully illustrates the nuances of the instrumental colours, and represents a real test aimed at demonstrating the musicality and interpretative skills of orchestras and their conductors.