A 1950 review of Francis Poulenc's
music by Claude Rostand referred to the composer as "half bad boy, half monk,"
and indeed many historians have noted the struggle, expressed through his
music, between Poulenc's deep Catholic faith and his homosexuality. The Sonata for Cello and Piano, completed in
1948, was the product of a period during which Poulenc's other compositions-his
Stabat Mater, Mass in G, Gloria, and
the opera Dialogues of the Carmelites-were
explicitly religious.
The Sonata is in four movements, each of which is in ternary (ABA)
form. The tone is generally flighty, ironic, and light, with moments of great
sincerity and sentimentality. Much of
the material in the three fast movements flits from one idea to another (or one
voice to another) with little or no transition-the pace is breakneck and the
effect is deliberately absurd. The
pianist Gilbert Kalish describes the Sonata
as follows:
It's
important not to get too weighty. You can never play so 'rationally' that you
get stuck in things. You're a little
over the surface, like walking on water, and that's the particular challenge of
that piece.
The
Sonata's only slow movement, the
Cavatine, stands out in this context for its heartfelt lyricism and consistent
mood. Katherine Cherbas
Classical Music | Cello Music
Francis Poulenc
Sonata for Cello and Piano Play
Recorded on 01/20/2010, uploaded on 06/13/2010
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Sonata for Cello and Piano Francis Poulenc
Tempo di Marcia; Cavatine; Ballabile; Finale
A 1950 review of Francis Poulenc's music by Claude Rostand referred to the composer as "half bad boy, half monk," and indeed many historians have noted the struggle, expressed through his music, between Poulenc's deep Catholic faith and his homosexuality. The Sonata for Cello and Piano, completed in 1948, was the product of a period during which Poulenc's other compositions-his Stabat Mater, Mass in G, Gloria, and the opera Dialogues of the Carmelites-were explicitly religious.
The Sonata is in four movements, each of which is in ternary (ABA) form. The tone is generally flighty, ironic, and light, with moments of great sincerity and sentimentality. Much of the material in the three fast movements flits from one idea to another (or one voice to another) with little or no transition-the pace is breakneck and the effect is deliberately absurd. The pianist Gilbert Kalish describes the Sonata as follows:
It's important not to get too weighty. You can never play so 'rationally' that you get stuck in things. You're a little over the surface, like walking on water, and that's the particular challenge of that piece.
The Sonata's only slow movement, the Cavatine, stands out in this context for its heartfelt lyricism and consistent mood. Katherine Cherbas
More music by Francis Poulenc
Sonata for Flute and Piano
Hommage à Edith Piaf
Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant, from Fiançailles pour rire
Les soirées de Nazelles
Fiançailles pour Rire
Les chemins de l'amour
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Piano Concerto in C sharp minor, FP 146
Three Novelettes for piano
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Performances by same musician(s)
Pièce en Forme de Habanera
Introduction and Polonaise Brillante
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
Courtesy of International Music Foundation.