It is an entertaining work, in the same spirit as Shostakovich's Ballet suites or Jazz suite Nb 2. A single theme turns into 6 successive "musical characters".

Extracts:

1. Le Prélude Solennel ("The Solemn Prelude") (mp3 - 00:54 - 871 Kb.)
2. La Polka Burlesque ("The Burlesque Polka") (mp3 - 00:51 - 816 Kb.)
3. La Marche Tragique ("The Tragic March") (mp3 - 01:15 - 1200 Kb.)
4. La Valse Elégante ("The Elegant Waltz") (mp3 - 01:14 - 1197 Kb.)
5. L'Intermède Elégiaque ("The Elegiac Interlude") (mp3 - 01:20 - 1280 Kb.)
6. Le Cancan Furieux ("The Crazy Cancan") (mp3 - 01:30 - 1442 Kb.)

Excerpts from the concert given on April 17, 2005 in Mantes-le-Ville, near Paris (France), by the Orchestre Symphonique des Yvelines, the composer contucting.

As its title indicates, humour is the actual conductor, although there are more serious (marche) or thoughtful (intermède) moments.

Métapastiches was written for the students' orchestra from the conservatoire in Chevilly-Larue (near Paris), who partially created it in 1994, under the direction of Manuel Hernandez. It was ordered to J.-Y. Malmasson by this music school.

The work was performed in its entirety on April 17, 2005 by the Orchestre Symphonique des Yvelines under the direction of the composer.