Scherzo-Cats (American Suite)

During their voyage to America, on 19 March 1959, Langlais began the sketches for American Suite. He composed with feverish energy, as if he had subconsciously saved his creativity for one important work that would capture the essence of his American experience.

The fifth movement, Scherzo-Cats, is in A B A form with a quiet second section, in which a slower Più lento and Allegro alternate with fragments of the theme. The piece was originally an improvisation, the first four measures of which were based on a theme in Mixolydian mode submitted by Marchal, which Langlais played on the French National Radio. He dedicated the written version to Helen Hewitt of Denton, Texas. Hewitt had many cats whom she named after organ stops. Upon receiving word from Langlais that he had dedicated "Scherzo-Cats" to her, she wrote, "I am so grateful that in spite of the fact that Lady Quintadena died, you have immortalized my cats." Langlais then wrote a Requiem for them. Langlais enjoyed both her and her cats and spoke about them frequently.
(Notes from “Jean Langlais: the Man and his Music,” by Ann Labounsky)