BACKGROUND TO…

Ysaÿe’s Poème élégiaque

The Belgian violinist and composer found a new and vital form of expression with this work, the first of his ‘poems’ for violin. Originally composed in 1892-3 for violin and piano, he would arrange it for violin and orchestra a decade later. An evocative and lyrical work with a distinctly dark timbre, Ysaÿe used elements of the Romeo & Juliet story as his inspiration, taking the doomed lovers’ deaths as his starting point. Dedicated to Gabriel Fauré, the piece found its biggest fan in Ernest Chausson, who went on to compose his own Poème in 1896 for Ysaÿe to perform.