The late romantic Jean Cras (1879-1932) managed to unite his passion for the sea and music throughout his life. As a naval officer he was even appointed Konteradmiral in 1931, but this did not prevent him from being a brilliant composer. Cras liked to combine free melody with austerity, but was as influenced by the music of his Breton homeland as he was by the sounds of the Orient or other regions he discovered on his numerous journeys. The formidable ensemble Oxalys presents here three major works of chamber music which show him as a remarkable contemporary of Debussy and Ravel.