POULENC, Francis
Sonata for Cello and Piano FP 143
I. Allegro – Tempo di Marcia
Emil Rovner, visiting professor
Eva Arderíus Esteban, student
Miguel Ángel Ortega Chavaldas, accompanying pianist
Professor Rovner congratulates both on their performance of the first movement of Poulenc’s Cello Sonata. Overall, it lacked a bit more humor, needing to be more playful. He also suggests playing with more colors and dynamic contrasts, making them more extreme.
Starting from the beginning, Rovner believes the first phrase should not end in a diminuendo, but strongly like a piano, followed by an immediate cantabile. He also provides some rhythmic indications to ensure the nervous energy of the beginning is not lost, and they review the fast ascending passage to make it sound clearer. The next passage, so characteristic of Poulenc, should sound more sensual and smooth, without an abrupt accent. The professor emphasizes differentiating dynamic changes more and playing extensively with expressiveness.
For the non-vibrato section, Rovner imagines that Poulenc intended a more introspective expressiveness: intense and with pressure but contained, as if the emotion were directed inward. He continues with indications regarding colors and sound types based on the character required at each moment. At a certain point later, they need to be more synchronized when playing the chord, and he gives further indications regarding metric freedom at specific moments.
Language: Spanish
