Roland, a piece for wind orchestra composed by Benoît Barrail, is loosely inspired by the adventures of the famous Frankish warrior and nephew of Charlemagne, according to legend. The piece specifically recounts the final moments of the Battle of Roncevaux as recounted in the famous Song of Roland. This piece is fairly easy and does not require an overly large instrumental force.
The introduction of brass and percussion plunges us into an epic universe with a light and haunting theme played alternately by the brass, solo clarinet, and woodwind. The second part of the work is calm, slow, and evokes a prayer. It features the melody of Lo Comte Arnaud, an Occitan version of the famous "Roi Renaud," a traditional medieval song with multiple versions evoking a legendary king who died in battle. The third part is resolutely modern, with a sustained tempo and a repetitive rhythmic atmosphere, evoking the Battle of Roncevaux during which Roland and his troops perished. Roland is a commission from the Cadet Harmony of the music schools of the Tarbes – Lourdes – Pyrenees area, created on November 20, 2021. It is dedicated to Cédric Cieutat, its musical director
Google machine translation: Original story of the work