GABRIEL DUPONT (1878-1914): Poème for Piano and String Quartet, Journée de printemps for Violin and Piano, 9 pieces from Les Heures dolentes and La Maison dans les dunes for Piano.

Description: A sickly man who was to die of tuberculosis, Dupont found his outlet for expression in music: the three movements of the Poème are titled "Somber and Painful", "Clear and Calm" and "Joyous and Sunny" - ending with a sense of triumph over adversity (which, obviously, was not to be). There is much of Franck in the music, also of Lekeu in the dark, emotionally stormy 15-minute first movement, impressive counterpoint and a piano part of Rachmaninovian nature. The Journée is a calm and sunny ten-minute evocation of dawn and afternoon while the excerpts from the piano pieces are redolent of both suffering and the dreams of an unclouded life. Marie-Catherine Girod (piano), Prazák Quartet.