Poulenc Sonata for Cello and Piano

Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) tackled nearly every musical genre and left a body of works that is typically French, in which gaiety, cheekiness and spontaneity rub shoulders with melancholy, ten­derness and seriousness. Sketched out at the home of his friend Marthe Bosredon in 1940, at the request of famed cellist Pierre Fournier, his Sonate for cello and piano matches the piano’s ardent flights of fancy with the rich textures of the cello. This work achieved only a mild success at its premiere at the Salle Gaveau in Paris on May 18, 1949, with Pierre Fournier on cello and the composer at the piano. However, as time went on, it found its place in the repertoire (and the hearts) of cellists everywhere.