Poeme for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 25 [Alf:36-S001201]

Ernest Chausson's (1855-1899) Po¨me for Violin and Orchestra was written for the Belgian violinist Eug¨ne Ysaże in 1895-1896. The Po¨me was inspired by a short story by Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, Le chant de l'amour triomphant, a fantasy set in Ferrara in the sixteenth century, in which a melody played on a violin produces a magic spell. The Po¨me was the second collaboration between the composer and Ysaże (the first was the Concert for solo violin, string quartet and piano in 1892). Chausson was grateful for Ysaże's participation - certain passages were influenced and/or revised by Ysaże, notably the long cadenza at the beginning and the passages of doublestopping. Debussy was quite fond of the Po¨me, and wrote of it in 1913: "The freedom of its form never goes against its harmonious proportion. The sense of dreamy gentleness is at its most touching at the end when, leaving aside all trace of description and anecdote, the music becomes that very feeling which inspires its emotion. Such moments in the work of an artist are very rare." Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp: Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set): Solo Violin.