--. CYCLE DE SEPT MELODIES.(In honor of the seven troubadours and of Clemence Isaure, Founders of the Academy of the Floral Games of Toulouse.) E. B. Bullock (ASCAP), 2003 (CVR, 2006). Tonal/ modal; [B.sub.3]-[B.sup.#.sub.5]; Tess: M-mH; regular meters; slow to medium tempos; V/mE-D, P/E-D; 36 pages.

I. "Descente sur le fleuve du catafalque de Raymond VII" (Le Prince Henrik de Danemark). G# minor; [D.sup.#.sub.4]-[G.sup.#.sub.5]; Tess: M-mH; 7/4, 2/4, 7/8, 4/4, 12/8, Recitativo-Lento maestoso, con grande espressione; V/mD, P/mD-D; 5 pages.

II. "Les Sept troubadours" (Pierre Trainar). B major; B3-B5; Tess: M; 7/8, Andante, solemne; V/mD, P/D; 5 pages.

III. "Rondel de la Clemence" (Andre Lebois). Mixolydian; [E.sup.#.sub.4]-[D.sup.#.sub.5]; Tess: M; 3/4, Rondellus; V/mE, P/E; 4 pages.

IV. "Eloge de Clemence Isaure" (Frederic Mistral). [B.sup.[flat]] major; [E.sup.[flat].sub.4]-[F.sub.5]; Tess: M; 2/2, Moderato, tempo rubato; V/M, P/M; 6 pages.

V. "Soir d'Automne en Lauragais" (Pierre Trainar). [G.sup.#] minor; [B.sub.3]-[B.sup.#.sub.5]; Tess: M-mH; 3/4, 4/4 (changing), Allegretto; V/D, P/D; 5 pages.

VI. "Chene mysterieux, foret de la Gresigne" (Jean Moreas). [G.sup.#] minor/ [A.sup.[flat]] major; [E.sub.4]-[F.sup.#.sub.5]; Tess: M; 6/8, Andante tranquillo, poco rubato; V/mD, P/mD; 5 pages.

VII. "Ode a Toulouse" (Philippe Soupault). B major; [D.sup.#.sub.4]-[F.sup.#.sub.5]; Tess: M; 6/4, 7/4, 9/4, Lento; V/M, P/M; 6 pages.

During the Middle Ages what is now the southern half of France, plus some Italian cities, was called Occitania after the language spoken there--Occitan or langue d'oc. It was here that the troubadour culture flourished and here that the Academie des Jeux Floraux de Toulouse continues to this day. In honor of the seven troubadours who founded the society, and of a mysterious patroness of the arts named Clemence Isaure, Bullock, in collaboration with Pierre Trainar, a permanent member of the Academie, composed this song cycle as a musical representation of the history of the society. The cycle begins with the death of the last Count of Toulouse and the end of the Occitanian civilization. The succeeding songs reference the seven troubadours, the mysterious Clemence Isaure, the darkness of the Inquisition that killed the Cathars, the strength of the oak trees of the Gresigne forest, and the beauty of the city of Toulouse. Of the seven poems, only one is in langue d'oc (Frederic Mistral), and that text is given an International Phonetic Alphabet transcription. The translations into English of all the poems are by the composer and appear to be more or less word for word.

The piano parts of three of the songs are far more pianistic in nature than those of the set reviewed above. The remaining four songs are more spare in texture and repetitive in nature, some of them having long stretches of solo piano. This cycle contains harmonic elements of both tonality and modality in its search for a quasi medieval flavor in the context of modern classical style.

The vocal lines flow smoothly as they carry the text in an uncomplicated melodic line. The rhythms are not complex, though there are passages in irregular meters. The soprano who performs these songs will need skill with French texts and many colors in her voice to bring these esoteric texts to life.

ABBREVIATION KEY: Diff = difficulty level; V = voice; P = piano; E = easy; mE = moderately easy; M = medium; mD = moderately difficult; D = difficult; DD = very difficult; Tess = tessitura; LL = very low; L = low; mL = moderately low; M = medium; mH = moderately high; H = high; HH = very high; CR = covers range; CS = covers staff; X = no clear key center.