Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet in D, Op. 21
Composed beetween 1889 and 1891, this composition has been described as defying categorization. While it does not employ the traditional orchestra vs. soloist setting, it nevertheless manages to avoid sounding like a traditional sextet work. The string quartet functions as an accompaniment, leaving the main roles to the solo violin and the piano. Chausson chose to avoid the Wagnerian sound, instead settling for a number of compositional devices that allowed his work to create its own atmosphere, full with effects that sometimes recreate a religious setting (like the use of parallelisms).
