Francois Rasse (1873 - 1955) was a Belgian composer and violinist, student of EugA!ne Ysaye. He started his career as a conductor at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. Afterwards, he became conductor at the Theatre du Capitole in Toulouse (France) and at the Dutch Opera House in Amsterdam. Hij was professor Harmony at the Brussels conservatory, and became director of the conservatory of Liege (Belgium). His music is characterized by his passion and love for the human voice, which translates in a very lyric expression. Francois Rasse won the famous 'Prix de Rome' in 1899. Thies 'Lied' ('song') for bass clarinet exposes all the lyric qualities of the bass clarinet. It is a moment of peace and reflection in every concert and a 'must-play' for every bass clarinet player.
