Chausson, Foccroulle and Scriabin

The evening

Chausson and Scriabin transport us to intoxicating musical realms, plus a world premiere by the celebrated organist and composer Bernard Foccroulle.

Passions run high in two dreamy, high-Romantic orchestral tone poems. Scored for soprano and orchestra and set against an oceanic backdrop, Chausson’s Poème de l’amour et de la mer blends the rich universes of Wagner and Debussy as it charts the course of a love affair, from blissful beginnings to devastating end. Scriabin, equally indebted to Debussy, takes us on a metaphysical journey to cosmic bliss – his glorious one-movement Poem of Ecstasy has a magical timelessness and builds inexorably to one of music’s most astonishing and overwhelming climaxes.

In between these two heady works, UIESH (meaning ‘somewhere’) by Bernard Foccroulle sets powerful poems by Innu Elder, Joséphine Bacon, with translations by Jessica Moore.

World-renowned singers, mezzo soprano Sasha Cooke and baritone Stéphane Degout join the LSO and Sir Antonio Pappano in this concert.

UIESH commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra and Festival d’Aix en Provence.

The work of the Chief Conductor with the LSO is generously supported by Alex & Elena Gerko, and members of the Chief Conductor’s Circle.