This orchestral suite is drawn from Chaminade’s ballet Callirhoë.
I. Prélude
II. Pas du Voile (Pas des Écharpes / Scarf Dance)
III. Scherzettino
IV. Pas des Cymbales

Première: The complete suite was premiered on November 23 and 30, 1890 at the Concerts Colonne in Paris. It was warmly received and even entered the bandstand repertoire. Audiences were especially charmed by the third movement, Scherzettino, which was encored at its premiere. While some critics noted its resemblance to Saint-Saëns’s Le Rouet d’Omphale, Callirhoë was widely recognized as a testament to Chaminade’s artistry. However, some of the praise was tinged with the gender biases of the era, as illustrated by a review in the Parisian periodical Gil Blas: “The ideas have a feminine side that contrasts delightfully with the composition, which shows a masculine sureness of hand.”