I have always had a soft spot for the music of both Ernest Chausson (1855-99) and Guillaume Lekeu (1870-94). Dying the day after his 24th birthday, Lekeu was one of the major composers who never had a chance (like Pergolesi). I was therefore delighted when a good friend sent me recordings of Chausson's "Concert for violin, piano, and string quartet" coupled with Lekeu's evergreen sonata for violin and piano (an old, old favourite).
Participants are Gabriel Le Magadure (violin) with the always welcome Frank Braley as pianist, plus the Agate Quartet in the Chausson. What an admirable coupling! Both works -- particularly the Chausson Concert -- are audibly post-Wagnerian, and fin de siècle. Both receive thoroughly idiomatic performances from the French team and are well recorded (recording a violin, piano, and string quartet must have been quite a challenge, particularly since there is a fair amount of bass sound in the Chausson). This is an obvious coupling that should have been done before many times. (I have six other recordings of the Chausson, plus eight of the Lekeu, the best of which in the past was that by Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien).
A most welcome addition to my bulging CD shelves.
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