Artists in Brussels and Paris were to come into close contact during the Belle époque (1880-1914). Artistic societies such as Les XX, founded by the Brussels lawyer and art lover Octave Maus and Vincent d’Indy, stimulated intense collaboration and friendships between artists in every genre. The Belgian violin virtuoso Eugene Ysaye (1858-1931) gave the first performances of many works in Le Salon de La Libre Esthétique, where works by Franck, Chausson, D’Indy, Debussy and Ropartz were also often on the programme.

We have brought new life to these unjustly forgotten works as a musical testimony to a bygone era. Jan Michiels and I sincerely hope that they will once again find their place in today’s concert halls.

We prepared these pieces during the first lockdown and recorded them just before the second lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brussels in 2020. We feel deeply connected, both emotionally and artistically, to the artists and all others who have been gravely affected by this disease, and therefore dedicate this CD to the many thousands of its victims and their families, and to all doctors, nurses and carers, wherever they may be.