ARCHIVE: Francoeur Chamber Music Society (November 2018)

Originally published 11/19/2018

Last night I attended “Claude Debussy and Ernest Chausson in a Symbolist Era” presented by the Francoeur Chamber Music Society at All-Saints Church. Performing Debussy’s String Quartet were Kurt Johnson and Louis-Marie Fardet, members of the Houston Symphony, and Oleg Sulyga and Lorento Golofev, members of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. Joining them in Chausson’s Concerto for piano, violin, and string quartet were Houston pianist Yan Shen and French violinist Marie Pallot, known as the Maya Duo.

As the French poet Stephane Mallarmé writes, the purpose of Symbolism is ‘to depict not the thing but the effect it produces.’ The concert’s presentation was relaxed and natural, devoid of the formality and distance that typically separates an audience from the music. The produced effect was one of intimacy and personalization. The unspoken subtext is the incredible depth and wealth of talent in Houston, as depicted by a well-conceived and superbly executed concert of two seldom performed works. That such a concert is presented free of charge is a gift to Houston audiences. Bravo to all!