Belle Époque 1886

SOMM RECORDINGS’Belle Époque 1886 celebrates a golden age of French chamber music, uniquely coupling Cello Sonatas by César Franck and Benjamin Godard. Franck’s A major and Godard’s D minor Sonatas were both composed in 1886 when French composers were replacing Austro-German dominance with a native, vernacular style. Making their debuts on SOMM are cellist Corinne Morris and pianist Petr Limonov. Of Anglo-French heritage, Morris continues to reveal herself a formidable musician. She made a triumphant comeback after a shoulder injury forced her to withdraw from the concert platform for more than five years. She has been hailed by Mstislav Rostropovich as “‘Corinotchka’, my colleague” while Paul Tortelier wrote “My warmest wishes are for Corinne and her art”. With a burgeoning profile at the keyboard and conductor’s podium, Russian-British pianist Petr Limonov has been described as “an extremely multi-faceted, phenomenal musician who has an endless array of abilities” (Classical Music ma