Suicide by bicycle?

That’s the theory put forth by Debussy biographer Edward Lockspeiser concerning the untimely death of Ernest Chausson. In 1899, Chausson hurtled downhill into a brick wall at the age of 44. While Chausson was certainly prone to depression, the theory of slamming into a wall with intent was emphatically refuted by Chausson’s own biographer, Ralph Scott Grover.

Chausson left behind a comparatively small, but meticulous output, a mere 39 opus numbers – Chausson got a late start, abandoning law at 25 to devote himself to composition – among them are the ravishing “Poème” for violin and orchestra, the song cycle “Poème de l’amour et de la mer,” and the Concert for Piano, Violin and String Quartet.

Chausson’s “Concert” of 1891 is especially noteworthy, its title recalling chamber music of the French baroque by composers such as Couperin and Rameau, but also suggesting more of a concerto than a sextet, with solo violin and piano playing against the backdrop of a standard string quartet. It’s a creative gamble with its own unique challenges, and Chausson acquits himself marvelously.

On this week’s “Music from Marlboro,” we’ll hear a 1968 performance, featuring solo violinist Jaime Laredo and pianist Ruth Laredo, with violinists Michael Tree and Hidetaro Suzuki, violist Nobuko Imai, and cellist Robert Sylvester. That’s a starry line-up by anyone’s standards. You’ll note that Tree is best known as a violist from his 45-year tenure with the Guarneri String Quartet.

Chausson and Claude Debussy were like brothers. Chausson invited his friend for a long stay in the summer of 1893 at a rented house in Luzancy. To make the visit even more agreeable, Chausson sent away for the score to Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov,” knowing Debussy’s fondness for it, and the they passed many enjoyable hours together at the piano, with Debussy playing through the opera while Chausson acted as page-turner.

The two were close enough that Chausson felt he could speak frankly of his disapproval of Debussy’s profligate lifestyle. Whether or not he overstepped his bounds, their friendship did cool somewhat after that, though they continued to find much to admire in one another’s music.

Chausson did not live to hear Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, a late work composed in 1915. We’ll hear it performed at the 1978 Marlboro Music Festival by flutist Carol Wincenc, violist Samuel Rhodes, and harpist Moya Wright.

Incidentally, Chausson biographer Ralph Scott Grover lived next store to my grandparents. Grover was the head of the music department at Lafayette College and also a great Anglophile – so much so that he spoke with a Mid-Atlantic accent. Even as a boy, I found this puzzling. It turns out he was a world authority on the music of Edmund Rubbra and a personal friend of the composer. In fact, he wrote a book on Rubbra in 1993 and his encapsulated biography for “The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.” Grover died in 2002. Though I regret not comprehending who he was, as a child, well before I developed my passion for music, we did get to know one another a little toward the end of his life, by which time he was already listening to me on the radio. We nearly missed one another completely, but I am thankful for the conversations we enjoyed. If only the timing had been better, I might have benefited from more of a master-disciple relationship.

But let us not speak of regrets! Rather, join me for works of Debussy and Chausson on the next “Music from Marlboro,” this Wednesday evening at 6:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

Marlboro School of Music and Festival: Official Page

PHOTO: Chausson turning pages for Debussy