The Seasons – November: Year-long Tchaikovsky series bridging music, poetry and visual art

Contemporary multimedia arts project The Seasons marks the autumnal month of November with a Tchaikovsky piano performance, an original poem and a new illustration.

Belgian concert pianist Marie François is the creative spirit behind this artistic experience that celebrates the seasons throughout 2026. It commemorates the 150th anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s 12 piano pieces that were originally performed throughout 1876.

This new version features the composer’s works, performed by François, alongside 12 new poems by four writers and 12 illustrations by Juliane Noll. The Dutch-language poems by Lize Spit, Max Temmerman, Ester Naomi Perquin and Joke van Leeuwen are spoken by Koen De Bouw and have been translated into English by David Colmer.

The poems and illustrations are published each month in Flemish daily De Standaard, The Bulletin and on radio NPO4 in the Netherlands. A link at the end of this article provides access to the musical recordings.

Marie François has recently released a CD (pictured above) with all 12 piano pieces. It is currently being performed in a concert series around the country.

Read an interview with Marie François here.

12 months, 12 pieces of music, 12 poems

Revisited (November)

Mid-November brooks no delay,
the time has come to settle our debts.
The full moon keeps them close to her chest.
Google it: our existence here and now

is aimed at a future of search terms
and not a soul knows what, why
or when. The autumn morning is hungry

and wants to come in, licking the window, look.

Why should this month know where we stand?

We’re still alive and celebrate its ides,

although the day’s not over yet.
Every morning a new year dawns.

Each day dispels the dark weight of before,

the night. I am a blur, as vague
as a human being. You are a line, spreading
like graphite. There was a time we thought ahead,

when we were luminous. (Hashtags, pencils
and pleasure, or was it more mortality?)
With dauntless gaze, we faced the future.
Enabled by our lack of past. 

Max Temmerman
Translated by David Colmer

Listen to this month's audio recording here

The Seasons is a project by Marie François in collaboration with VONK & Zonen, and made possible by Mercier Van Lanschot.

Photo: Marie François ©Carmen De Vos