The cello in the spotlight

Gabriel Fauré composed works for cello on several occasions. He created such works of rare beauty as the Élégie, the Sérénade and the Second Sonata for cello and piano, of which the Andante is one of the most poignant pages in his repertoire. This funeral song, originally composed for the official ceremony marking the centenary of Napoleon's birth, was reused by Fauré who, by entrusting it to the cello, lends it a nostalgic tone and an almost human sense of warmth.

Music Chapel