Scenes of Provence, with its ancient Roman remains and ancestral traditions, mingle with the coast of the Côte d’Azur and the great nature reserve of Camargue, Musically, Chopin and Puccini may seem outsiders in a gathering of French musicians. The former, however, was the son of an émigré French father and spent the greater part of his life in Paris, while Puccini finds a place here with his transformation of Manon Lescaut into an immensely moving opera. Other composers reflect a French tradition ranging from Berlioz to Ravel.