Sonata for cello and piano The sonata for cello and piano,
L. 135, was written in 1915, and is notable for its brevity, most performances not exceeding 11 minutes. It is a staple of the modern cello repertoire and is commonly regarded as one of the finest masterpieces written for the instrument. The work has three
movements: The final two movements are joined by an
attacca. Instead of
sonata form, Debussy structures the piece in the style of the eighteenth-century monothematic sonata, and was particularly influenced by the music of
François Couperin. The piece makes use of
modes and whole-tone and pentatonic
scales, as is typical of Debussy's style. It also uses many types of extended cello technique, including left-hand
pizzicato,
spiccato and
flautando bowing, false harmonics and portamenti. The piece is considered technically demanding. Whether descriptive comments related to
characters of the
Commedia dell'arte were actually given by Debussy to cellist
Louis Rosoor remains unclear.
Sonata for flute, viola and harp The sonata for flute, viola, and harp,
L. 137, was also written in 1915. The first performance of the Sonata took place in Boston, at Jordan Hall in the New England Conservatory, on 7 November 1916. The performers were members of a wind ensemble called the Longy Club, which had been founded by the principal oboist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, George Longy. The first performance in France was a private one that occurred on 10 December 1916, at the home of Debussy's publisher, Jacques Durand. The first public performance in France was thought to be at a charity concert on 9 March 1917. However, Thompson reported a performance of the sonata at London's
Aeolian Hall by
Albert Fransella,
Harry Waldo Warner and
Miriam Timothy on 2 February 1917 as part of a concert otherwise given by the
London String Quartet. A typical performance lasts between 17 and 18 minutes. According to
Léon Vallas (1929), Debussy initially planned this as a piece for flute, oboe and harp. He subsequently decided that the viola's timbre would be a better combination for the flute than the oboe's, so he changed the instrumentation to flute, viola and harp. The work has three movements: This instrumentation of
flute, viola and harp was formerly rare, but later became a standard ensemble, largely influenced by this work.
Sonata for violin and piano The sonata for violin and piano in G minor,
L. 140, was written in 1917. It was the composer's last major composition and is notable for its brevity; a typical performance lasts about 13 minutes. The premiere took place on 5 May 1917, the violin part played by
Gaston Poulet, with Debussy himself at the piano. It was his last public performance. The work has three movements:
The unfinished sonatas Debussy wrote in the manuscript of his violin sonata that the fourth sonata should be written for oboe,
horn, and
harpsichord, and the fifth for trumpet, clarinet, bassoon and piano. For the final and sixth sonata, Debussy envisioned
a concerto where the sonorities of the "various instruments" combine, with the gracious assistance of the double bass, making the instrumentation of the six sonatas as follows: == Influence and legacy ==