LE GRAND CHEMIN (THE GRAND HIGHWAY)

This remastered reissue marks the 25th anniversary of Jean-Loup Hubert's The Grand Highway, starring Anemone and Richard Bohringer, one of the best films of French cinema ever. As this sentimental drama with many hilarious moments takes place at the end of the 1950s, in a rural community, it retains a timeless charm and generates a nostalgia characteristic of a classic.

All of us lived for a time in a countryside similar to the small village of Rouans, where The Grand Highway’s tale takes place, if only during a summer vacation. We all had or dreamed to have a close friendship similar to the one that blossoms between the two young protagonists of the film, Louis (Antoine Hubert, the director’s son) and Martine (Valerie Guedj). It is through their eyes that we rediscover the mysteries of life, the laws of nature and the devastating consequences that can result from the loss of a child.

Hubert’s choice to score The Grand Highway was surprising since the 59-year-old Georges Granier had no professional experience in the field. Still, the result proved to be highly successful. His score relies mainly on the piano, a small strings section, the flute and electronic keyboards. The thematic material is rich and varied enough to manage without a bigger orchestral treatment. Granier’s sense of melody and poetical approach are reminiscent of Georges Delerue, of his ability to express the joy and the sadness of living within a few bars.

The original soundtrack CD released by Milan at the time didn’t pay justice to the score. We have corrected many errors in the track listing and the timings. Some very short cues, whose melodies and orchestrations are similar, were grouped together to form more substantial pieces, while remaining faithful as much as possible to their chronological order in the movie. Because of its short running time, this limited release of 500 copies is offered at budget price. 8-page color booklet. ---from the label.

01 Le Grand Chemin - Generique debut 2:10
02 Sur la route du village 1:33
03 Maman s'en va / Louis parle aux lapins 1:34
04 L'observatoire secret 1:23
05 Fureur de Pelo 1:31
06 L'ascension du clocher 1:58
07 Louis et son lapin / Martine et Louis 1:16
08 Louis et Pelo / Sur le toit de l'eglise 2:32
09 Marcelle au cimetiere / Marcelle et Louis 1:32
10 Louis et Martine 2:33
11 Louis et Pelo apres le diner 1:15
12 Le depart a la peche 1:09
13 Pelo et Louis en barque 0:50
14 Tristesse de Pelo 1:28
15 Tristesse de Martine et Generique fin 3:29

Total Disc Time: 26:31