The concert will feature works by Stanisław Moniuszko (1819–1872) and Karol Szmanowski, all sung in French. We will also hear compositions by Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860–1941). In the song cycle Douze Mélodies, the Polish statesman perfectly reflected the atmosphere enchanted in the words of Catulle Mendès, using original harmonic solutions and timbre.

Polish works will be performed alongside Poème de l’amour et de la mer by Ernest Chausson – a composer for whom French was a native language. In the dramatic, extremely moving Poème de l’amour et de la mer, the composer uses sound to depict the entire gamut of emotions enchanted in the poetry of Maurice Bouchor – ranging from delight to despair.