Music Matters: French Cello Sonatas

32 Water Street,Stonington CT 06378

07 January, 2023

Description

Ted Mook, violoncello Michael Bahmann, 1930 Mason & Hamlin French Cello Sonatas George Onslow Cello sonata in c, Op. 16, No. 2 Francis Poulenc Sonata pour violoncelle et piano Claude Debussy Sonata pour violoncelle et piano All three composers - fervent Frenchmen to the nth degree! – were superb pianists and worked with some of the stellar string players of their times. Their occasional take-no-prisoners writing for both instruments puts lyricism, refined Gallic angularity, and crystalline, chiseled dialogue first. George Onslow (1784-1853) wrote three brilliantly imaginative cello sonatas, the very first in France, that balance the two protagonists as fully as did Beethoven; their transparent textures and sinewy lines indeed parallel LvB. The Debussy and Poulenc sonatas are compact, often breathtakingly terse. As they soar to spare, poignant heights of expression, each work plumbs the players' every resource. French music is a powerful antidote to the depths of winter. Join us to bask in the warmth! This celebration of French chamber music lasts about 65' and is without an intermission. All seating is unreserved: first come, first served. Doors open 1/2 hour before the start of the concert. Please note that you don't need a paper ticket; simply give your name at the door.