After a short guitar-like introduction, the first theme appears low on muted trumpets, and recurs four times during the piece. This is followed by a flowing second theme (bassoons, horns, cellos). Bassoons introduce another idea ben giocoso, sempre con impeto after which instrumental sections take up a dialogue with another highly rhythmic theme. After a return to the first theme, another flowing melody dolce espressivo on upper strings leads to a climax only broken by a marcato theme on trombones.Poulenc observes that Stravinsky may have unconsciously had this trombone passage in mind for a similar theme in Petrushka. Poulenc F. Emmanuel Chabrier. Geneva and Paris, La Palatine, 1961 Instrumental and thematic variants lead the piece to its ecstatic and joyous conclusion.
