Theophile Ysaye (1865–1918) was a Belgian composer and pianist, born in Verviers, Belgium. His brother was the violinist and conductor Eugene Ysaye, whose career rather overshadowed him throughout his life. Theo began his studies at the Liege Conservatory and, on Eugene's advice, furthered his education in Berlin with Theodor Kullak. Although he was an excellent pianist, his fragile health did not allow him to concertize and tour. Instead, he pursued a career as a teacher at the Geneva Conservatory of Music, eventually becoming a professor. Most of his relatively vast oeuvre has not been published. He wrote symphonies, piano concertos, symphonic poems, and some chamber music. His style initially was influenced by César Franck, but his later work revealed a clear influence of impressionism.
The Piano Quintet in b minor was one of the few pieces of chamber music that has been published. This was after his death in 1926. It was completed around 1905 and dedicated to the Belgian violin virtuoso Emile Chaumont, who was the leader of the most important string quartet ensemble in Belgium. His quartet dedicated itself to the work of César Franck and his students Guillaume Lekeu, Vincent d'Indy, Ernest Chausson, Pierre de Bréville, Joseph Guy Ropartz, Henri Duparc, and Charles Bordes. Within ten years, he played around 40 premieres of works by these composers in Brussels. His quartet, along with Ysaye at the piano, performed the premiere of this piano quintet. It is a massive work ostensibly in three movements, but the first and last movements are very similar in mood and feel. Overall, it is a dark and gloomy work, but also highly original and not without passion. The soundbites describe the music far better than words are able.
This highly original work is sure to make an indelible impression upon concert audiences.
