Dvořáks Symfonie nr. 8 & Chaussons Poème door Arabella Steinbacher

Dvořák's Symphony No. 8

'Themes just fly at me,' said Dvořák as he wrote the most beautiful melodies with the greatest ease in his beloved country house in the village of Vysoká, just outside Prague. After his heavy and stormy Seventh Symphony, he wanted to show a different side of himself with the Eighth : cheerful and lyrical. There was much to be cheerful about. After a difficult start as a composer, Dvořák had by now become a world-famous giant. Wherever he went, he was adored. Consequently, the joie de vivre radiates from it, partly due to the influences of Bohemian folk music and the nature sounds of Vysoká.

Chausson's Poème by Arabella Steinbacher

Ernest Chausson left behind 39 opus numbers when, at a far too young age, he fatally crashed his velocipede into a wall. That immediately explains why we do not hear music by the French composer more often, for his music is sultry, lyrical, complex enough to captivate, yet understandable enough not to lose interest. Chausson composed his Poème for violin and orchestra for Eugène Ysaÿe, one of the most virtuos virtuoso violinists ever. He made good use of Ysaÿe's capabilities. That is why a top-level soloist is a must for Poème . Arabella Steinbacher is such a top violinist. She is known for her technical perfection, radiant tone, and expressive depth.