In 1915, Claude Debussy planned an ambitious project: “Six sonates pour divers instruments”, a sonata cycle intentionally conceived in the style of the French baroque sonata. Although six sonatas were planned, Debussy was able to finish only three. The outbreak of the First World War had pushed Debussy to return to French values and to bitterly reject all German influences. The three movements of his Cello Sonata are free in form and the poetic titles evoke extra-musical themes such as antiquity and nature, lyricism and drama.
It begins with a Prologue reminiscent of the “French Overture” of baroque French opera. The tone of the work is set by typical dotted rhythms, resolute melody and motives in the piano and the heroic answer in the cello. Shimmering, broken chords stand in for the fugal middle part of a baroque overture, leading to a return of the grand opening motive.
The second and third movements are performed without pause. The second movement is marked by constant dialogues of “ironic” bowed notes and mandolin-like pizzicato and portando, sudden ritardandi, extreme crescendi and decrescendo, and contrasts of normal and “airy” tone production. The Finale begins with a bass passacaglia motive and follows a passionate journey to return to the baroque motive of the Prologue.Program Notes by Erik Asgeirsson and Rebekka Kosack
Classical Music | Cello Music
Claude Debussy
Sonata for Cello and Piano Play
Recorded on 08/05/2015, uploaded on 04/19/2016
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
In 1915, Claude Debussy planned an ambitious project: “Six sonates pour divers instruments”, a sonata cycle intentionally conceived in the style of the French baroque sonata. Although six sonatas were planned, Debussy was able to finish only three. The outbreak of the First World War had pushed Debussy to return to French values and to bitterly reject all German influences. The three movements of his Cello Sonata are free in form and the poetic titles evoke extra-musical themes such as antiquity and nature, lyricism and drama.
It begins with a Prologue reminiscent of the “French Overture” of baroque French opera. The tone of the work is set by typical dotted rhythms, resolute melody and motives in the piano and the heroic answer in the cello. Shimmering, broken chords stand in for the fugal middle part of a baroque overture, leading to a return of the grand opening motive.
The second and third movements are performed without pause. The second movement is marked by constant dialogues of “ironic” bowed notes and mandolin-like pizzicato and portando, sudden ritardandi, extreme crescendi and decrescendo, and contrasts of normal and “airy” tone production. The Finale begins with a bass passacaglia motive and follows a passionate journey to return to the baroque motive of the Prologue. Program Notes by Erik Asgeirsson and Rebekka Kosack
More music by Claude Debussy
La Puerta del Vino, from Préludes Book II
Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir, from Préludes, Book I
Soiree dans Grenade, from Estampes
Rapsodie (arr. Rousseau)
Arabesque in C sharp major
Beau Soir
Ondine, from Préludes Book II
La Cathédrale engloutie, from Preludes, Books 1, No.10
Estampes
Apparition, from Quatre chansons de jeunesse
Performances by same musician(s)
Sonata for Cello and Piano in d minor, Op. 40
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