- Chopin’s Cello Sonata in g minor did not come easily for the composer. He spent several years picking it up, putting it down, nearly discarding it, and starting over again—”It was work filled with doubts and hesitation, difficult decisions and arduous labours.”
- Having finally completed the work in 1847, it was quickly sent to Breitkopf for publication.
- Cello Sonata in g minor consists of four movements:
- Allegro moderato
- Scherzo
- Largo
- Finale. Allegro
- The first public performance of the sonata took place in 1848, as part of Chopin’s last public concert in Paris. Chopin performed on piano with Auguste Franchomme on cello, who was also the work’s dedicatee. However, the duo only performed movements 2-4 and omitted the first. According to one of the composer’s pupils, the opening “Allegro” failed to win over friends who had heard earlier private performances of the piece.1
Sources
- Mieczysław Tomaszewski, “Sonata in G minor for piano and cello, Op. 65,” Instytut Fryderyka Chopina, accessed December 12, 2025, https://chopin.nifc.pl/en/chopin/kompozycja/133.
Cut IDs
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