Debussy Sonata D Minor for Cello and Piano (Durand)
$33.95
Debussy’s Sonata in D Minor for Cello and Piano is a landmark of early 20th-century chamber music, composed in 1915 and published by Durand. Across its three connected movements—Prologue, Sérénade and Final—Debussy explores an exceptional range of cello colours, articulations and expressive effects, creating challenging and rewarding repertoire for advanced performers.
Debussy Sonata D Minor for Cello and Piano (Durand)
Compact yet extraordinarily rich in colour, Claude Debussy’s Sonata in D Minor for Cello and Piano is one of the defining works of the 20th-century cello repertoire. Composed in 1915, it was the first of a projected set of six sonatas for different instruments, although Debussy completed only three before his death. The sonata unfolds across three closely connected movements—Prologue, Sérénade and Final—moving from introspective lyricism to playful, sharply articulated gestures and an animated conclusion. Debussy treats the cello with remarkable imagination, exploiting changes of register, articulation, pizzicato and tonal colour while giving the piano an equally important role. The original Durand edition was first published in Paris in 1915.
Three movements:
I. Prologue – Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto
II. Sérénade – Modérément animé
III. Final – Animé, léger et nerveux
Key Features:
Composed by Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Sonata in D Minor for Cello and Piano
Catalogue: L. 135 / CD 144
Composed in 1915
For cello and piano
First of Debussy’s planned Six Sonates pour divers instruments
Dedicated to Emma Debussy
Published by Durand
Traditional Durand edition catalogue No. DD00939000
ISMN 979-0-044-01362-3
20 pages in the current listing
Musical Benefits:
Develops sophisticated tonal colour and expressive control
Refines pizzicato, articulation and varied bowing techniques
Strengthens rhythmic precision and rapid changes of character
Develops advanced communication and balance between cello and piano
Debussy’s Cello Sonata in D Minor is a landmark 20th-century work combining atmospheric lyricism, rhythmic vitality and imaginative cello writing. This Henle Urtext edition is edited by Ernst-Günter Heinemann, with cello fingering and bowing by Reiner Ginzel, and uniquely provides both marked and unmarked cello parts, allowing performers to work either with practical performance guidance or directly from the Urtext.
Debussy’s Nocturne et Scherzo is a fascinating early work for cello and piano, composed in 1882 when Debussy was nineteen. Contrasting animated Scherzo writing with a lyrical, nocturne-like central character, the piece already hints at the composer’s sensitivity to colour and atmosphere. This Faber Music edition was prepared from the surviving manuscript by Neil Heyde and first published in 1995.
Key Features:
•For cello and piano
•Composed by Claude Debussy
•Written in 1882
•Edited by Neil Heyde
•Published by Faber Music
•Catalogue No. 0571515118
•ISBN 978-0-571-51511-0
•16 pages
•Contrasts lively Scherzo writing with lyrical, cantabile expression
Debussy’s Sonata in D Minor for Cello and Piano is a compact yet richly expressive masterpiece of 20th-century chamber music. This Edition Peters Urtext, edited by Josef Schwab, presents Debussy’s three contrasting movements—Prologue, Sérénade and Finale—in a carefully prepared edition ideal for advanced study, recital and professional performance.
