In 1935 the playwright Edouard Bourdet commissioned Francis Poulenc and Georges Auric to compose incidental music for his play La Reine Margot. The drama concerned Margot de Valois, wife of the man who was crowned King Henri IV of France in 1594. It was decided that Poulenc would provide music for the play's second act.

At the suggestion of Nadia Boulanger, Poulenc sought inspiration from the 1545 Livre de Danceries by Claude Gervaise, a French court composer and violinist who flourished around the same time as the events depicted in the play. Somewhat in the manner of Stravinsky's ballet Pulcinella, Poulenc set the seven Gervaise dances largely unaltered in rhythm or melody, but added his own quirky harmonies. The fist and fifth movements are suggested by the title character of Bourdet's play, who recalls the bransles (a type of 16th century French dance) from Burgundy and Champagne.

Soon after composing his incidental music, Poulenc arranged the seven numbers for solo piano; this was published the same year and became quite popular. The score of the original instrumental version, which the composer had scored for a small wind band with percussion and harpsichord, was published in 1948.

© 2003 Jeff Eldridge