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The Belgian-born composer Guillaume Lekeu (1870-1894) left us only a small oeuvre. One of his most important compositions is the Sonata pour piano et violon, which is dedicated to Eugene Ysaÿe. The great Belgian violinist described it as "a masterpiece that need not fear comparison with Franck's violin sonata in terms of it's wealth of ideas and melodic inspiration". Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was one of the most original and versatile composers of the 20th century. His Theme et variations, composed in Paris in 1932 as a wedding present for his first wife, the violinist and composer Claire Delbos, and performed together a few months after their marriage, explores the ideas of time and rhythm in search of their possible variations. The sonata is a form that has also recently attracted the interest of Nicolas Bacri (*1961), one of the most performed and most recorded composers on the international music scene today. The Sonata No. 4 op. 148 "In the style of Brahms", which was composed between June and October 2018 at the request of Agnes Pyka and Laurent Wagschal, reflects this second tendency and is Bacri's great homage to the Hamburg master, for whom he harbours a special affection. The violinist Carlotta Malquoris and the pianist Andrea D'Amato are an established duo that performs enthusiastically at numerous concerts in Germany and abroad.
Guillaume Lekeu (1870-1894)