Ah! Ernest Chausson…

You wrote such beautiful music. Très romantique!

If only you had been so skilled at riding a bicycle.

In 1899, Chausson cruised downhill into a brick wall at the age of 44. He left behind a comparatively small, but meticulous output, 39 opus numbers total, but among them his ravishing “Poeme” for violin and orchestra, the song cycle “Poeme de l’amour et de la mer,” and the Concert for Piano, Violin and String Quartet.

Oddly enough, I am not a fan of his popular symphony, generally held to be his most impressive accomplishment (I’m not crazy about the Franck, either, upon which it is clearly modeled), though I am sure the fault is in me, not the music. However, I adore his works on Arthurian themes, the symphonic poem “Viviane” and especially his opera, “Le roi Arthus.”

His incidental music after Shakespeare, “La tempête” (1888), is believed to have been the first piece to employ the celesta.

Bon anniversaire, mon vieux.

Here’s the Prelude and Scene I from Chausson’s “Le roi Arthus”:

And the “Poeme,” in a fine performance by Zino Francescatti, unfortunately posted in two parts:

PHOTO: Exercise can be bad for your health