The Three Musketeers, Op. 8

Les Trois Mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers) was commissioned by the Miraphone company for the Miraphone Tuba Quartett and the Musique des Gardiens de la Paix (Paris, France). It was premièred in Guebwiller (France), on 28 June 2003 by its dedicatees.Even if you have never read a line of the mythical novel The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas, father, you will at least have heard of the “four invincibles”; four extraordinary names - D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis - and one unique motto “All for one, and one for all.” The musical texture of Les Trois Mousquetaires is focused on specific elements of a character’s personality rather thanon its influence on the book's plot. Maxime Aulio has largely turned his attention on D’Artagnan, the sensitive, romantic and perfect gentleman who is easily charmed by women such as the gentle Constance Bonacieux and the perfidious Milady de Winter whose beguiling beauty seduced him. The first movement - D’Artagnan - is true to the character of the young provincial noble of the Gascony region: heroic and enthusiastic in all circumstances. The second movement entitled Constance Bonacieux, is romantic, delicate and passionate. The third and last movement is as duplicitous as the bewitching femme fatale its reveals: Milady de Winter.