Faure, Gabriel - Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Opus 109 - Cello and Piano - Edited by Solow -International Music Co.

Gabriel Faure generously enriched the field of piano chamber music, composing two cello sonatas (as well as several occasional pieces for cello and piano), two violin sonatas, two piano quartets, and one trio-plus a string quartet, his last composition and his only chamber work without piano. Unfortunately, only a few of these works-most notably the first sonata and the first violin sonata and the first piano quartet-have established themselves solidly in the repertoire. Indeed, some of the later ones are rarely performed. This can be largely attributed to the difference between Faure’s early style, possessing an immediately accessible melodic attractiveness, and his deeply personal and introspective later music, which does not reveal its secrets easily. Rather like distant mountains slowly becoming visible though the must, these works gradually gain clarity and intelligibility only with repeated hearings.  In this edition I have attempted to rectify discrepancies while preserving differences that seem intentional. The piano score, except for the correction of errors and additions of obviously intended markings (in parentheses), follows Durand’s first edition of 1918. Like most performers of this sonata, I recommend a tempo somewhat faster than Faure’s marking for the third movement.  -Jeffrey Solow, Philadelphia, April 2019 This edition contains the solo part and the accompanying piano part. The cello part and the piano part were edited by Jeffrey Solow.