France Revisited: Music by Onslow, Debussy & Poulenc

Featuring

Linda Ang Stoodley
Robert Stoodley
Piano à Deux
George Onslow
Claude Debussy

Did you know?

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Composer Biography

George Onslow, a French composer, was known as the 'French Beethoven' due to his significant contributions to the string quartet genre.

Notable Performances

Onslow's Sonata Op. 22 for piano four hands was performed by renowned pianists Liszt and Chopin in a recital organized by Berlioz in 1833.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Poulenc, when setting his 'Polish Songs', stated he aimed to create a 'Polish atmosphere' imaginatively, rather than focusing on local historical accuracy.

Historical Context

Poulenc's songs 'C' and 'Fêtes Galantes', settings of poems by Louis Aragon, were published during the Nazi occupation of France, a period when Poulenc's homosexuality and Aragon's communist alignment could have been dangerous.

Performer Biography

The piano duo Robert and Linda Ang Stoodley, known as Piano à Deux, met on a dating website and formed their duo in 2010.

Compositional Technique

The key of E minor, chosen by Onslow for his Op. 7 sonata, was considered 'Onslowian' as he used it more frequently than his contemporaries, and it was rare for duo sonatas before him.

Composition History

Onslow's Sonata Op. 7 for piano four hands was dedicated to Camille Pleyel, whose father Ignaz Pleyel supplied Onslow with pianos and published his works.