In late-19th-century France, instrumental music began to emerge from the long shadow of opera and vocal traditions, fueled by the ideals of the Société Nationale de Musique. The works gathered on Franck, Boulanger, Debussy & Vermeulen: Works for Cello and Piano trace that evolution through four distinct yet subtly connected voices.
César Franck’s Sonata in A major, originally conceived for violin and soon authorized in a cello version, stands as one of the great monuments of the French chamber repertoire. Its remarkable cyclic unity and expansive lyricism combine structural rigor with glowing Romantic expressiveness. Transferred to the cello, the music acquires a deeper, more vocal warmth without losing any of its architectural clarity.
Although celebrated primarily as one of the twentieth century’s most influential pedagogues, Nadia Boulanger possessed a refined compositional voice of her own. The Trois Pièces reveal an economy of means, elegant lyricism, and a natural sensitivity to instrumental color.
With the Sonata for cello and piano, Claude Debussy reimagines classical proportion through a wholly individual language. Evoking the world of the commedia dell’arte, the work moves between introspection, fantasy, and nervous brilliance, the piano often acting as a shimmering, elusive partner.
Debussy’s example proved catalytic for Matthijs Vermeulen, whose cello sonata transforms late-Romantic expressivity into a highly personal idiom of surging melodic lines and explosive contrasts. Its opposing movements — associated by the composer with Venus and Mars — embody tenderness and turbulence in equal measure.
Performed by Lidy Blijdorp and Tobias Borsboom, this program reveals a richly varied soundscape where French refinement, color, and emotional intensity converge.
Lidy Blijdorp, Cello
Tobias Borsboom, Piano
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as MP3.Total time: 01:05:29
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | CCS47726 |
| Qualities | DSD 512 fs, DSD 256 fs, DSD 128 fs, DSD 64 fs, DXD 32 Bit, DXD 24 Bit, FLAC 192 kHz, FLAC 96 kHz |
| Channels | 2ch Stereo, 5 Channel Surround Sound, 2ch Stereo & 5ch Surround |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Instruments | |
| Release Date | February 13, 2026 |
Press reviews
BBC Music Magazine
Review: Cello works by Franck, Boulanger, Debussy et al
BBC Music Magazine (classical-music.com) — Rating: 5 stars
By Jo Talbot, published 7 April 2026
Franck • Boulanger • Debussy • Vermeulen
Works for Cello and Piano
Lidy Blijdorp (cello); Tobias Borsboom (piano)
Channel Classics CCS47726 — 65:29 mins
Using the recording genre creatively is an art in itself. What can it offer that perhaps a live concert cannot? I think it allows more extreme portrayal of dynamics and timbre to be effective, as it can catch the merest whisper of bow stroke, which in a larger auditorium may not speak so effectively.
Lidy Blijdorp and Tobias Borsboom maximise these aspects in this recording, and timbres generated by different bow speeds and vibrato really make every note breathe. By turns dramatic and ethereal, Blijdorp insists you listen.
The programme focuses on late-Romantic and early 20th-century French chamber music, but with a few nuggets of newness – Dutch composer Matthijs Vermeulen’s Cello Sonata is a real find. He heard an early performance of the Debussy Cello Sonata in Amsterdam and this proved a catalyst for his creative ideas.
Without a doubt, he takes Debussy as a springboard – even the figuration is similar. But it’s a more hard-edged dissonance, yet, particularly in the first movement, perfumed harmonically as only the French can do. And this pioneering duo makes a really strong case for the composition, lacing it with nuance and expression, alongside aggressive percussive qualities.
It makes sense to include the Debussy Cello Sonata which proved so influential. Here, extreme dynamics are part of the invention, not least in the playful and also menacing Sérénade, one minute barely an audible breath, the next, strumming like a guitar with force.
The cello arrangement of Franck’s Violin Sonata is tender, passionate and reflective. Adorned with consummate virtuosity, this performance is a triumph.
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