The French Cello – Truls Mørk

Truls Mørk and Håkon Austbø in the French repertoire

It is the French cello which is at the centre of attention on this album by Truls Mørk and Håkon Austbø. Throughout the album´s 70 minutes the duo performs works for the cello by César Franck, Ernest Chausson, Claude Debussy and Francis Poulenc, all pillars of French music for the instrument. Franck´s Violin Sonata, one of those cyclic compositions beloved of Franck, is an ingenious treatment of just three notes producing many of the work´s themes. Chausson´s ”Piéce for Cello and Piano” is somewhat of a rarity, being one of those lyrically, quiet French works and often overshadowed by the grandeur of many well-known dramatic works of the same period. However, its beauty is unquestionable. Debussy´s Sonata, returning to the old classical forms of French music, was composed “in the ancient, flexible mould with none of the grandiloquence of modern sonatas,” as the composer himself described it. Poulenc´s “Sonata for Cello and Piano” stands out from the composer´s list of works, being more dominated by woodwind pieces. Like his earlier Violin Sonata, it is a substantial work presenting Poulenc at his most imaginative.

Being one of the most outstanding cellists on the international scene, Truls Mørk has distinguished himself at several important national and international competitions, and has since the mid-1980s toured extensively all over the world. Håkon Austbø, on the other hand, has since the 1970s gained international attention and has enjoyed a successful international solo as well as chamber music career.