French Impressions: Debussy and Chausson

Both Debussy and Chausson were passionate about the visual arts, but the two men reacted quite differently to the Impressionist movement.

While Debussy drew upon a vast range of visual sources for his orchestral and other instrumental works (from Watteau via Turner to Gustave Moreau), Chausson appears not to have relied upon either literary or visual inspiration for his music. He was a rather conservative composer who, in the age of Ravel and Stravinsky, seemed more drawn to the Romantic tradition of César Franck.

The evening explores the ways in which the artistic trends of the time are reflected in these magnificent works by two master composers.

Grace Park, violin
Gilles Vonsattel, piano
The Calidore String Quartet

Illustrated talk by Samuel Adams