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Cellist Louise Dubin has undertaken extensive research into the works of the French cellist-composer Auguste Franchomme (1808-84), and world premiere recordings of several of his cello pieces are featured on her new CD Passages, together with music by Debussy, Fauré, Poulenc, Charles Koechlin and Philippe Hersant. The pianist is Spence Meyer (Bridge Records 9597 louise-dubin.com/shop).
Koechlin’s 1917 Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op.66 opens the disc and an exact contemporary – Debussy’s 1915 Sonata for Cello and Piano – closes it. The Franchomme works are his arrangement of Chopin’s Étude, Op.25/7, his Air Irlandais, Variè, Op.25/3 and his Nocturne, Op.14/2 for two cellos (Julia Bruskin joining Dubin in this) as well as Hersant’s three Caprices and the recently discovered Fauré Allegro moderato.
Maurice Gendron’s arrangement of Poulenc’s Sérénade completes an enjoyable recital of predominantly brief pieces.
Passages: French Cello Music