Step into fin de si猫cle Paris, where the poet Verlaine, the painter Monet and the composers Faur茅 and Debussy would meet at regular soir茅es. From Verlaine, Faur茅 took nine poems to set as his exquisite cycle La bonne chanson 鈥� a serene depiction of the love Faur茅 was currently experiencing for Debussy鈥檚 future wife. Debussy鈥檚 own String Quartet was finished while Faur茅鈥檚 work was still in progress, and proved one of the composer鈥檚 first ventures into his new, luxuriant musical world of light, sensuality and fragile beauty. The concert opens with a work by Augusta Holm猫s, one of the many 19th-century French women composers now being rediscovered. Her intimate song-cycle Les heures contemplates the 鈥榟ours鈥� of the day.

Broadcast live on 成人快手 Radio 3

Image: James Atkinson 漏 Ben Durrant