Ernest Chausson (1855–1899) was a significant figure in the French late-Romantic movement, known for his lush harmonic language and deep emotional intensity. His piano works, though fewer in number, are marked by a sense of longing and a refined sensitivity to color. Influenced by both Franck and Wagner, his music requires a pianist to master complex, chromatic shifts and a singing, cantabile tone. Performing Chausson is about capturing the delicate balance between formal elegance and the passionate, sometimes somber, spirit of his compositions.