Michel Khalifa – narrator
Nicolas van Poucke – piano
Tosca Opdam – violin
Elisabeth Perry – violin
Mara Mostert – violin
Hannah Strijbos – viola
Pamela Smits – cello

When a train ran between Paris and Brussels for the first time (1846, duration: 21 hours!), it was the first rail connection between two European capitals, and it marked the start of European international rail traffic. Composers and musicians eagerly took advantage of that too!

César Franck was born 200 years ago in Liege (1822). After some wanderings, he spent almost the rest of his life in Paris. There he became, among other things, the teacher of Ernest Chausson. Chausson dedicated his Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet to the famous Belgian violin virtuoso Eugène Ysaÿe hoping that this would tempt him to perform it. And it did! The premiere in Brussels was a great success. Chausson wrote elatedly in his diary: “I must believe that my music is made for Belgians above all, for never have I enjoyed such a success [...] I feel giddy and joyful, such as I have not managed to feel for a long time.”

And what do a horse taxi and a bicycle ride downhill have in common? Michel Khalifa will introduce the program in a colourful manner with stories and images.

Introduction
by Michel Khalifa

César Franck
Piano quintet in F minor, Op. 14

– Intermission –

Ernest Chausson
Concerto for violin, piano and string quartet, Op. 21 in D major


Prices for this event:
Box office: € 27,50
Presale: € 25
Registered Friends: € 20