Ode to Lost Time Miriam Davis & Michael Bulychev-Okser

• Eugène Ysaÿe (1858 - 1931): Poème Élégiaque in D minor, op. 12:
• 1Ysaÿe: Poème Élégiaque in D minor, op. 1213:01
• César Franck (1822 - 1890): Sonata for Violin and Piano in A:
• 2Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A: 1. Allegretto ben moderato05:20
• 3Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A: 2. Allegro molto07:55
• 4Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A: 3. Recitativo-Fantasia (Ben moderato - Molto Lento)07:09
• 5Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A: 4. Allegretto poco mosso05:49
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918): Violin Sonata in G minor, L148 (140):
• 6Debussy: Violin Sonata in G minor, L148 (140): Allegro vivo04:42
• 7Debussy: Violin Sonata in G minor, L148 (140): Intermède: Fantastique et léger03:54
• 8Debussy: Violin Sonata in G minor, L148 (140): Finale: Très animé04:10
• Ernest Chausson (1855 - 1899): Poème, op. 25:
• 9Chausson: Poème, op. 2514:36
• Total Runtime01:06:36

Info for Ode to Lost Time

Discover this album of music for violin and piano by late 19th and early 20th-century French composers Eugène Ysaÿe, César Franck, Claude Debussy and Ernest Chausson.

In Marcel Proust’s 1913 masterpiece, “In Search of Lost Time”, he aims to recreate through literature, the period of French history in which he lived. Inspired by Proust’s unparalleled ability to express in words the psychological effects of music on the heart and soul, this album presents works by contemporaneous composers whom Proust heard, knew and loved. As well as creating a window into the musical contents of Proust’s mind, we seek to mirror his goal and offer a historical portrait of the era through music. Whilst there has been long-standing interest in the composer ‘behind’ Proust’s fictional composer Vinteuil, Proust himself poured scorn on such musings, stating clearly that Vinteuil is an entirely fictional character. However, he remarks that whilst writing about Vinteuil’s famous ‘little phrase’, he may have been thinking of both Saint-Saëns’ 1st Sonata as played by Enescu, and Franck’s Violin Sonata. Debussy’s works were a known favourite of Proust, especially Pelléas et Mélisande, which Proust listened to repeatedly. Proust’s fondness for Franck is best remembered by a particular anecdote: one night around midnight, Proust turned up at the house of violinist Gaston Poulet (who also premiered Debussy Sonata), possessed of an urgent desire to hear Franck’s string quartet. They rounded up the rest of Poulet’s quartet in a taxi, in which Proust sat muffled in an eiderdown, with a bowl of potatoes by his side. Back in his bedroom, the musicians performed amongst Proust’s manuscripts, finishing around 2 a.m., at which point Proust asked to hear the entire piece again. Proust attended many of Ysaÿe’s concerts and loved his playing. In Proust’s novel, some of the descriptions of the violinist’s emotional tone are very likely inspired by Ysaÿe’s distinctive sound. Proust was also acquainted with Chausson, and between their styles one might draw the greatest parallels; both writing long, poetic, romantic, gently nostalgic phrases, one in words, the other in music.

Miriam Davis, violin
Michael Bulychev-Okser, piano

Miriam Davis
Especially admired for her performances of romantic and early-modern repertoire including Ysaÿe, violinist Miriam Davis has performed worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician. She is a prize winner in numerous international competitions. Performance venues include Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Estonia Concert-Hall, Vanemuise Kontsertdimaja, Częstochowa Philharmonic Hall, Stoller Hall (Manchester), Stavanger Konserthus, Temppeliaukio Church (Helsinki), Parco Della Music (Rome), St Martin-in-the- Fields (London), National Portrait Gallery (London) and Sage Gateshead Hall 1. As concerto soloist she has performed with conductors such as Peter Szilvay, Lilyan Kaiv, Jose Miguel Rodilla, Marc Moncusi and Oliver Weder.

Since 2017 Miriam has studied with renowned French violinist, Philippe Graffin, including receiving her Artist Diploma at Hague Royal Conservatory in 2018. Miriam completed her undergraduate studies at Royal College of Music London, on a full scholarship.

Miriam Davis and pianist Michael Bulychev-Okser have been performing together as a duo since 2019, when their performances of Chausson’s Poème first brought them together.

They have performed together throughout Europe and the Baltic States, both in chamber recitals and as double-concerto soloists in Mendelssohn’s Double Concerto.

Michael Bulychev-Okser
is an internationally acclaimed American pianist, composer, pedagogue, and producer.

Hailed by New York Times as “enticing and brilliant”, Michael Bulychev-Okser has performed on the world’s most prestigious stages: Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), La Salle Pleyel (Paris), Wigmore Hall (London) among others.

Bulychev-Okser is a frequent guest at many music festivals, competition juries and concert series in the United States, England, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Greece, Turkey, Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Mexico, Israel, Georgia, China, South Korea, and Singapore.

Michael Bulychev-Okser organises the Gershwin International Music Competition in New York, Classical Hugs Music Festival in Estonia, and “From Italy with Love” festival in New York.

Michael Bulychev-Okser is a Professor of Piano and Chamber Music at Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Center in New York.

This album contains no booklet.