Franco Cesarini

Tom Sawyer Suite

During his childhood The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was the favourite book of the composer Franco Cesarini. With his memories of the magic of joy, fear and freedom, Cesarini seeks to bring the figures of the book to life musically in his Tom Sawyer Suite. Each of the first four movements describes a figure from the story. Tom Sawyer is depicted in the first movement, where the characteristic 'cake walk' rhythm is used. The second movement depicts Huckleberry Finn. The third movement is slower, more expressively melancholic and is dedicated to Becky Thatcher. Then there is Injun Joe, who tries to catch Tom in the fourth movement with the fifth movement leading to a happy end.