A cello elegy

With his Élégie, published in 1883, Gabriel Fauré provided cellists with a major piece for their repertoire – one that was an immediate success and the popularity of which has never waned. It was tempting therefore to explore the composer’s treatment of the instrument in other works, and also to take a look at those produced by his pupils. Complementing a Cello Sonata by Fauré, the works presented here, like the master’s Élégie, shed the constraints of Classical forms and enter the realm of genre pieces, sometimes evoking the Parisian salon (Romance by Roger-Ducasse), sometimes turning to traditional music (Koechlin’s Chansons bretonnes). Also included is Nadia Boulanger’s popular Trois Pièces pour violoncelle et piano, which were originally written as solo pieces for the organ.