Capuçon & Talents

A poet to the tips of his fingers, heir to Chopin whose delicate restraint he so perfectly captures, Fauré is the master of sumptuously rich harmonies, of "evocative witchcraft", to use Mallarmé’s phrase. A faithful partner of the Opéra de Dijon, Renaud Capuçon brings together several of his favourite fellow performers to accompany him on a voyage to the very heart of chamber music.

Presenting a balanced duo between violin and piano, the Sonata n°1 constitutes, as if in response to the authority of the Germanic tradition, a veritable manifesto of French chamber music. Exercising its influence on César Franck, Gabriel Pierné and Vincent d’Indy, it offers his Allegro as an elegant portico, followed by an Andante with its more nostalgic accents, then by a bubbly Scherzo, and lastly by a Finale in which the two partners, without ever interrupting their dialogue, rival each other in eloquence. A much later composition, the Trio op. 120 was originally written for clarinet, before Fauré, for reasons of balance, returned it to a more classical formation. With its three movements (Allegro ma non troppo, Andantino, Allegro vivo), it is a work of serene clarity and economy of means, in which each note seems necessary. In the footsteps of Mozart, Schumann and Brahms, Fauré composed two Quartets with piano. The second, premiered in 1887, presents four movements: an Allegro with its superb opening in unison, a syncopated Scherzo, a dreamy Adagio, and a frenetic Finale, something quite exceptional with Fauré!

for the performance at 8pm

Violin Renaud Capuçon 
Piano Guillaume Bellom 
Viola Paul Zientara 
Cello Stéphanie Huang

^{© Simon Fowler / All rights reserved / Benjamin Decoin}

Gabriel Fauré
Sonata n°1 for violin and piano op.13
Trio for piano and strings op. 120
Quartet for piano and strings n°2 op. 45

concert with commentary · Saturday 28 September 3 pm

A selection of the program given that evening especially adapted for young children in the company of Renaud Capuçon and the Opera’s mediation service.

from age 6 / ticket price E / 1h without intermission