Jeux d'Enfants

Jeux d'enfants (Children's Games) Op. 22, is originally a suite of twelve miniatures composed by Georges Bizet for piano four hands in 1871. Bizet's biographer, Winton Dean, considers the suite to be a forerunner of similar childhood-related works by Debussy (Children’s Corner), Fauré (Dolly Suite), and Ravel (Mother Goose) – and one could hardly argue to the contrary. Dean writes that each movement "evokes a facet of childhood, but there is not a trace of triviality, self-consciousness or false sentiment." Bizet orchestrated these six movements for orchestra, arranged here for brass.
 
The artwork on the cover is by 16th century Flemish artist, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, created in 1560. In his painting, Bruegel portrays over 230 children playing 83 popular children’s games – the six games of this musical suite are all depicted in this famous painting.