Essential Chausson
Ernest Chausson (1855-99) was born into a well-to-do family and studied law first before moving onto music instruction at the Paris Conservatoire with Jules Massenet. There he got to know César Franck and his circle of students. Like other young French musicians of his era he fell under the spell of Wagner, travelling to Bayreuth to hear the operas, notably the premiere of 'Parsifal' in 1882.
Read more…His music is notable for its extreme passion and deep Romanticism. Although best-known for his sultry 'Poème' beloved of all violinists, he tackled all the major musical genres, including opera: he spent many years composing 'Le roi Arthus', an operatic adaptation of Arthurian legend. His chamber music has also never left the concert repertoire. His premature death was among the most unfortunate in musical history: he was cycling on one of his country estates, when his bicycle careered downhill out of control and ran into a brick wall.