Concert recording, 50 years after his death (12 May 1931/81), of one of the numerous composition from Ysaÿe.
Based on a reminiscence of François Villon's (1431-1489) poem "Ballade des dames du temps jadis", it doesn't follow of course word for word the poetic text, but however it keeps that sort of interrogation repeated few times in every stroph : "Tell me where, in which contry, is Flora the beautiful roman girl, Archipiades nor Thaïs..."
And, just as Villon answering all those questions with one more but so regretful interrogation : "But where are yesteryear's snows ?", Ysaÿe ends each episode with a kind of cadence, coming like a blow of wind and sweeping everything which had been said earlier, leaving only raw souvenirs...
For more music and more discoveries :
www.jeanclaudeferet.net
But, unfortunately for the moment, the texts are still only in French (but music goes over that border isn't it !).