Whilst the composers come from the same cultural fabric, the sonatas stand apart from each other in striking ways, each contributing to a redefinition and revolution of the sonata genre.
Fauré’s Violin Sonata No 1 in A major is a lesson in lyricism, boasting unending melodic lines that soar above the piano’s rich harmonic texture. The G minor sonata by Debussy, composed forty years later, is a concise and evocative illustration of impressionism at its finest, featuring both the ecstatic and intimate ends of the spectrum. Ravel’s Sonata No 2 in G major takes the listener on a journey from a sparse landscape, to a smoky Blues bar, finishing with a brilliantly breathless Perpetuum mobile. Together with pianist Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula, Nebel explores these renowned works and highlights the ways in which they are unique.
