Chopin & Alkan: Sonates pour violoncelle et piano, Op. 65 & Op. 47
1/19/2010, 10 Tracks, 1:12:51
Featuring
Tatjana Vassiljeva
Jean-Frédéric Neuburger
Frédéric Chopin
Charles Valentin Alkan
Did you know?
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Historical Context
Both Chopin and Alkan were virtuoso pianists and composers admired in the Parisian salons of the 19th century.
Composer Biography
Chopin's Cello Sonata was one of his last works, composed in 1846 when he was physically exhausted and his relationship with George Sand was deteriorating.
Composer Biography
Chopin and Alkan shared an admiration for the cellist Auguste-Joseph Franchomme, a key figure in Parisian music who premiered many works for his instrument.
Critical Reception
Chopin's Cello Sonata was initially met with confusion by critics like Ignaz Moscheles, who felt its passages sounded like preluding rather than a coherent work.
Composer Biography
Charles-Valentin Alkan, a contemporary of Liszt, Chopin, and Schumann, was a piano virtuoso fascinated by mysticism, capable of translating the Bible and interpreting the Talmud.
Instruments
Cellist Tatjana Vassiljeva performs on a 1725 'Vaslin' cello by Antonio Stradivarius, on loan from LVMH.
Compositional Technique
Alkan's Sonate de concert op. 47 is described as 'gigantic' in its dimensions, tempo markings, and instrumental virtuosity, with an avant-garde harmonic writing for its time.
