Paul Dukas (1865-1935) left only a handful of works, not due to laziness, but because of his extreme pursuit of perfection, often destroying pieces he deemed imperfect.
Composition History
The Sonata in E flat minor was dedicated to Camille Saint-Saëns, a prominent French composer, and premiered on May 10, 1901, by Édouard Risler at Salle Pleyel in Paris.
Composition History
Dukas composed his Prélude élégiaque sur le nom de Haydn in 1909 for a collective homage organized by S.I.M. magazine to commemorate the centennial of Haydn's death.
Performer Biography
Laurent Wagschal, the pianist on this recording, is known for his commitment to French music, including works by unjustly neglected composers, as evidenced by his extensive discography.
Compositional Technique
The Variations on a Theme by Rameau, unlike the Sonata, embrace clarity and economy, reflecting a shift from lingering Romanticism to a rediscovered Classicism.
Compositional Technique
Dukas's Sonata in E flat minor is a colossal work, summarizing a century of sonatas from Beethoven's Hammerklavier to Liszt's Sonata, and serving as a vigorous conclusion to the genre.
Composition History
La Plainte, au loin, du Faune… (1920) was an occasional piece for the famous Tombeau de Debussy, a tribute to Claude Debussy, in which Dukas evoked Debussy's style without pastiche.
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