The music of the French composer Ernest Chausson bridges the rich romantic sound of César Franck, Richard Wagner, and the sensual, impressionistic musical vocabulary of Claude Debussy. Unfortunately, the composer died at the age of just 44, in prime of his life. And while Chausson’s creative legacy is insubstantial, his music surprises with its unrestrained imagination and intuitive elegance; the composer was always searching for unconventional forms and novel sonority. His only Symphony in B major occupies an important place in Chausson’s output. This three-movement work stands out for its rich and colourful instrumentation. The Symphony is brimming with drama and conflict. “A magnificent lament approaching despair”, wrote French musicologist Jean Gallois about the second movement. Chausson’s prominent work, alongside César Franck’s Symphony in D minor and Camille Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony, is considered the significant example of late French symphonic music of the second half of the 19th century.

Chausson’s expressive symphonic score is performed by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra led by French conductor Victorien Vanoosten.