The music of the French composer Ernest Chausson builds a bridge between sumptuously romantic sound of César Franck, Richard Wagner and Claude Debussy’s sensual, impressionistic music language. Unfortunately, the composer left this world at the age of just 44, in the heyday of strength. And while Chausson’s creative legacy is meagre, his music enchants with its unfettered imagination and intuitive elegance; the composer was always in search for unconventional forms and a new sound. The poetic Poème de l’amour et de la mer (Poem of Love and the Sea, 1892), Op. 19 occupies an important place in Chausson’s work. The composition, which he worked on for over a decade, is dedicated to a good friend, composer Henri Duparc. The poem consists of two vocal sections: La Fleur des eaux (The Flower of the Waters) and La Mort de l’amour (The Death of Love), separated by a short, dreamy instrumental interlude. Chausson based this opus on the poems by Maurice Bouchor, another friend, and an unknown poet. Poème de l’amour et de la mer is an emotional journey from a passionate desire for love to its painful loss, regret and alienation. Text of the poem is presented in a tender, sensual, sophisticated and somewhat melancholic language of French music.

Lithuanian tenor Edgaras Montvidas, who has conquered the world’s opera stages, graces the Lithuanian National Philharmonic stage. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of his creative career, the opera soloist together with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Modestas Pitrėnas performs Chausson’s Poème de l’amour et de la mer.