French Impressions: Chamber Music by Chausson & Tailleferre

Acclaimed concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine, sought-after pianist Orion Weiss, and the multiple Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet join forces for their new album French Impressions: Chamber Music by Chausson & Tailleferre, celebrating captivating works by French composers Ernest Chausson and Germaine Tailleferre, whose chamber music deserves greater attention on recordings.

Chausson’s Op. 21 sextet, titled Concert, known for its unusual orchestration of solo violin, string quartet, and piano, takes advantage of the quasi-orchestral capabilities of a chamber ensemble. The only work on the album featuring Rachel Barton Pine, Pacifica Quartet, and Orion Weiss as a collective, Concert is regarded as one of the most important French chamber music works of the late-19th-century fin-de-siècle era.

Germaine Tailleferre was a prolific composer and the only female member of the group of celebrated 20th-century French composers known as Les Six. Tailleferre was a piano prodigy who enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire at age 12, defying her father’s objections. Her compositions span symphonic, chamber, and film music. A winner of numerous premier prix, she studied with revered composers including Maurice Ravel, whose work significantly influenced her versatile style.

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine showcases her “astonishing and joyful” (Washington Post) artistry, alongside the “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (Washington Post) of pianist Orion Weiss for Tailleferre’s Violin Sonata No. 2, Pastorale, and Berceuse for Violin and Piano — works that often express a nostalgic longing for home and display dynamic and adventurous interplay between the violin and piano.

The Pacifica Quartet, known for its “remarkable expressive range and tonal beauty” (New York Times), is featured on Tailleferre’s String Quartet, a piece acclaimed for its playful themes, fluid accompanimental figuration, and bold harmonies.

French Impressions: Chamber Music by Chausson & Tailleferre was produced and engineered by the Grammy-winning team of James Ginsburg and Bill Maylone. The album was recorded on January 5-6, 2025 at Mary Patricia Gannon Concert Hall, DePaul University (Chicago, IL) and February 3, 2025 at Sasha and Eugene Jarvis Opera Hall, DePaul University (Chicago, IL).