Max Tan & Friends [CD Fundraiser Launch]: The Evolving Score of Chausson's 'Poeme'

Ernest Chausson, arr. Eugène Ysaÿe – Poème for violin, piano, & organ, Op. 25

Although the Poème by French composer Ernest Chausson is highly regarded as a staple of the violin repertory, the story of its evolving score from conception to five different known versions today have been largely unexplored. Its conception has been loosely attributed as an adaptation of Ivan Turgenev’s novella The Song of Triumphant Love. The music more accurately symbolizes a remarkable friendship and collaboration between Chausson and the Belgian violinist Eugene Ysaÿe. This talk will discuss how the five different versions relate, examining the musical provenance of an unpublished arrangement created by Ysaÿe for violin, piano, and organ nearly 30 years after Chausson’s death. An informal recording of the arrangement will be premiered at the conclusion of the talk. Artistic implications regarding how performers treat the ‘musical-work’ concept, freedom versus spontaneity in interpretation, and the prescriptive versus descriptive nature of musical scores will be addressed.

The livestream will take place at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific.

RSVP for details/livestream link.

$10+ minimum payment to musicians, $3 reservation fee.

About Groupmuse

Groupmuse is a worker- and musician-owned cooperative seeking to uplift artists and strengthen broader community bonds through live, intimate performances of historically-rooted music.