Sibbe Live!: Soirée a Paris

22.04.2026 19:00 – 20:00

Standard price 20€ +order fee (from 1,50 € + 0,65 % of the order)

Students/pensioners/children 15€ +order fee (from 1,50 € + 0,65 % of the order)

Please remember that the museum card is not accepted as a means of payment!

Tickets available for purchase at the museum's ticket desk from 21 February 2026 onwards.

Gabriel Fauré’s (1845–1924) First Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 13, is one of his early masterpieces and an important work in the history of French chamber music. Composed in 1875–1876, it represents the creative force of Fauré’s youth, in which romantic expression is combined with his characteristic refinement and clarity of form. The work was dedicated to the violinist Paul Viardot, son of Fauré’s close friend Pauline Viardot. It received its premiere in February 1877.

The first movement, Allegro molto, is lively and energetic, full of rhythmic vitality and singing themes. The dialogue between piano and violin is equal, with both instruments taking part in the melodic and harmonic development. The movement carries Fauré’s typical brightness and sense of forward motion, where romantic passion meets classical structure. The slow second movement, Andante, provides a counterbalance to the intensity of the opening. It is lyrical and warm, almost like a vocal meditation in which the violin sings with a human voice. The piano accompaniment features subtle polyphony, and the harmonies shift gently through soft modulations. The scherzo-like third movement, Allegro vivo, is light and dance-like. Its rhythmic sparkle and clever accents are reminiscent of Mendelssohn’s spirituality, but Fauré gives it its own French charm—clear and elegant. The finale, Allegro quasi presto, is a fast and virtuosic conclusion, combining technical brilliance with melodic poetry. The movement culminates in a radiant A major, bringing the work to an energetic and hopeful close.

Fauré’s First Violin Sonata marked a new direction in French chamber music, which had long been dominated by German models. Its refined harmonies, singing melodies, and balanced structure made it quickly popular, and it remains one of Fauré’s most beloved and frequently performed chamber works.

Claude Debussy’s (1862–1918) Sonata for Violin and Piano was completed in 1917, only a year before the composer’s death. It was his final finished work and is part of a planned cycle of six sonatas, of which he only completed three.

Debussy wrote the sonata during a difficult period in his life and a turbulent time in history—he had stomach cancer, and France was living in the shadow of the First World War. Despite illness and war, he continued composing for as long as his strength permitted. Debussy wrote the work partly as a statement in support of French culture and to offer a counterweight to the dominant position of the German musical tradition. In this sense, the sonata is also self-aware—a melancholic yet proud farewell.

Debussy was seriously ill at the time of the sonata’s premiere and appeared visibly weakened on stage. He performed the work with violinist Gaston Poulet in May 1917 in Paris.

The sonata is concise and deeply personal. The first movement, Allegro vivo, is lively yet fragile. Its rhythmic energy hides within sensitivity and restlessness. One can also sense some Spanish notes in the music, especially in its rhythmic motion and melodic gestures. The second movement, Intermède: Fantasque et léger, is light and playful, yet tinged with wistfulness. The third movement, Très animé, is animated and at times dramatic, recalling themes from earlier in the work.

Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) composed his Sonata for Violin and Piano in 1942–1943 in memory of poet Federico García Lorca. Poulenc had made several attempts to write a sonata for a string instrument, but only the violin sonata was ever completed, after several abandoned efforts. It was also his only sonata for violin. Violinist Ginette Neveu played a significant role in the sonata’s creation—aside from general support, she also advised him on writing the violin part. Poulenc referred to the sonata as a “monster” due to the challenging process of composing it. It was premiered by Neveu and Poulenc in the summer of 1943, though Poulenc later revised it, giving it its final form in 1949.

Poulenc remained in German-occupied France during the Second World War, and expressed political views through his choice of dedications to carefully selected poets. Lorca—shot by fascists during the Spanish Civil War in 1936—was a deliberate choice as dedication. The movement titles Allegro con fuoco (“fast and fiery”) and Presto tragico (“very fast and tragically”) are easily understood in light of the work’s history. The outer movements reflect the sorrow and grief over Lorca’s death. However, the middle movement, Intermezzo, is tender and wistful; the score even includes a direct quotation from Lorca: “the guitar makes dreams cry.” The pizzicatos of the movement evoke the sound of the guitar, contrasted with a beautifully languid main melody.