The Cello Sonata in
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major.
According to Paolo Pietropaolo, it is the cont ...
, Op. 65, was written by
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
in 1846-1847. It is one of only nine works of Chopin published during his lifetime that were written for instruments other than piano (although the piano still appears in every work he wrote). Chopin composed four sonatas, the other three being
piano sonata
A piano sonata is a sonata written for a solo piano. Piano sonatas are usually written in three or four movements, although some piano sonatas have been written with a single movement ( Scarlatti, Liszt, Scriabin, Medtner, Berg), others with t ...
s. The cello sonata was the last of Chopin's works to be published in his lifetime.
The sonata was written for and dedicated to
Auguste Franchomme
Auguste-Joseph Franchomme (10 April 180821 January 1884) was a French cellist and composer. For his contributions to music, he was decorated with the Légion d'honneur in 1884.
Life and career
Born in Lille, Franchomme studied at the local conse ...
. The sonata is remarkable for the concentration of its material: much of the music of the first movement grows out of the cello’s opening statement, and certain theme-shapes appear in all its movements. The last three movements were first publicly performed by Franchomme and Chopin at the composer's last public concert, at the
Salle Pleyel
The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...
on 16 February 1848.
Structure
The composition consists of four movements:
#''Allegro moderato'' in G minor
#''Scherzo'' in D minor, Trio in D major
#''Largo'' in B-flat major
#''Finale. Allegro'' in G minor, ending in G major
It takes around 30 minutes to perform.
Media
References
;Notes
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External links
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Compositions by Frédéric Chopin
Chopin
1846 compositions
Compositions in G minor
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