Gabriel Faure:
Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13

Claude Debussy:
Violin Sonata in G minor, L. 140

Maurice Ravel:
Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major, M. 77

Francis Poulenc:
Violin Sonata, FP. 119

Franziska Pietsch and Josu De Solaun continue their electrifying collaboration in their recording of French violin sonatas. From Fauré’s nostalgic finesse to Debussy’s aphoristic dreams, from Ravel’s eclectic urbanity to Poulenc’s sardonic humour and heartfelt sensuality, spanning almost 70 years, the music takes you into the land of fantasque magic – the wondrous and bizarre, the outlandish and bittersweetly nostalgic, the multifaceted and humorous, and even the warmly tragic.

The second album by Franziska Pietsch and her Spanish piano partner Josu De Solaun is dedicated to the multifaceted world of French violin sonatas. With their usual aplomb and artistic intensity, the duo explore emotional landscapes complementing those of their previous album. Moving on from the exuberant revelry, serious tragedy and brutal reality of the sonatas by Strauss and Shostakovich, the musicians are now roving between the poles of dream and reality.

Real experiences and emotions are reflected in a visionary dream world, external reality is mirrored internally. Inner emotions and images become reality via the music, triggering new emotions: dream and reality mirror each other. Fauré, Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc create this “mirror world” in diverse ways. The common theme is the fantastical, the magic of imagination, the poetic distance to reality and the intensive engagement with inner emotions. Thus the dream world becomes a retreat – for listeners and artists alike.

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Recording: October 28 - 31, 2019, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin-Dahlem. Grand piano: Shigeru Kawai SK-EX. Franziska Pietsch plays a violin by Carlo Antonio Testore (Milan) of 1751.