Concert de Chausson - Quintette de Vierne

This is a wonderful pairing of two neglected French works whose styles sit in the mid-point between Romanticism and Impressionism. Many late 19th-century French composers veered away from Wagner’s otherwise Europe-wide influence, preferring to combine explorations in modal harmony with a renewed interest in 18th-century Classical and Baroque forms. Ernest Chausson’s Concert for violin, piano and string quartet, one of late 19th-century France’s most ravishing creations, is an example of this. Its unusual scoring imitates the Baroque concerto grosso with its concertino (soloists) and ripieno (quartet). And its French movement titles leave listeners in no doubt as to the work’s geographic origins. All this aside, Chausson’s Concert is a work of thrilling invention. Its opening movement grows from just three notes, declaimed on the piano in the opening bars. From there, Chausson embarks on a rhapsodic journey that rides along on a series of rapturous waves, piano and solo violin soaring in ecstatic union above the accompanying quartet. The “Sicilienne”, lighter and more elegant, and the “Grave”, a work of brooding intensity, precedes a “Finale” of unrestrained emotion that puts both soloists, the pianist especially, through their paces. Éric Le Sage takes Chausson’s substantial challenges in his stride, playing with concerto-like aplomb, but tempered with a chamber sensitivity that allows the string players to shine. Born in 1870, Louis Vierne is best known as the former organist of Paris’ Notre Dame and the composer of an important body of work for the pipe organ including six substantial symphonies. But his chamber works have started to gain traction since the 1990s. His Quintet is dedicated to his son Jacques who was killed in the First World War in 1917—understandably, the music veers between tenderness and torment, and at its most intense seems to soar free of its Romantic fixings, as if seeking out an atonal universe. The performances are consistently excellent, each player alert to Chausson’s and Vierne’s emotional twists and turns. Inside the Album Booklet Both works are placed within musical and historical context in the booklet essay, which also incorporates a listening guide. Album booklets are available in the latest version of Apple Music Classical, which you can download and enjoy as part of your Apple Music subscription. To access booklets, tap on the book icon at the top of your screen.