SACRED & PROFANE

February 27, 2025 | Bohemian National Hall

Quatuor Van Kuijk

Parker Ramsay harp

Illustrated talk by Parker Ramsay

Debussy String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10
Debussy La Fille aux cheveux de lin
Debussy Danse sacrée et Danse profane
Fauré Une châtelaine en sa tour…, Op. 110
Fauré Four Mélodies:
Les Berceaux
Clair de Lune
Après un rêve
Mandoline
Caplet Conte Fantastique (after Poe) for String Quartet & Harp

When we think of the belle époque in Paris, it’s easy to conjure images of elegant streets, lavish food, and sumptuous concerts – all tangible symbols of a culture of refinement, blissfully unaware of the looming First World War. Yet Parisian composers and artists of this period did not always sit comfortably in their own city and often used their work to challenge the conventions of the world in which they operated. In particular, the symbolist and impressionist movements questioned the status quo, consistently interrogating the cost of Parisian decadence. Please join us as Parker Ramsay and the Van Kuijk Quartet guide audiences through a closer look at works by Debussy and his contemporaries in the decades leading up to the First World War.