Saint-Saëns, Ysaÿe and Franck trace a Franco-Belgian violin lineage where song, colour, virtuosity and cyclic form converge in style.

Violin Sonatas & Poème - Across the Franco-Belgian School presents a refined and historically grounded exploration of late 19th-century chamber music, a period in which the violin-piano duo emerged as a central medium for innovation, dialogue, and expressive depth. Performed by Duo Aurian, this programme brings together seminal works by Camille Saint-Saëns, Eugène Ysaÿe, and César Franck, tracing the evolution of a distinctly Franco-Belgian musical language shaped by virtuosity, structural clarity, and a renewed emphasis on instrumental parity.

Rooted in the cultural and institutional framework of the Société Nationale de Musique, this repertoire reflects a decisive moment in French musical life, where composers sought to redefine instrumental forms outside the dominance of opera. Within this context, the violin assumes multiple identities: for Saint-Saëns, it is a vehicle of brilliant classicism, balancing formal rigor with expressive agility; for Ysaÿe, it becomes a timbral narrator, capable of shaping extended, rhapsodic forms through color and gesture; for Franck, it is an equal partner in a deeply integrated dialogue governed by the cyclic principle, where thematic material evolves and returns across movements in transformed guises.

Saint-Saëns's Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75 exemplifies this synthesis of virtuosity and structure, merging four movements into a continuous, two-part design enriched by recurring thematic elements. Ysaÿe's Poème élégiaque, with its distinctive scordatura and rhapsodic form, expands the expressive possibilities of the violin, blending lyrical introspection with dramatic intensity in a single, continuous arc. Franck's Sonata in A major, one of the cornerstones of the repertoire, embodies the cyclic ideal at its highest level, weaving thematic memory into a cohesive and emotionally resonant whole that redefines the relationship between violin and piano.

Duo Aurian--violinist Sebastian Zagame and pianist Aurelio Marco Raco--approach this repertoire with a focus on coloristic nuance, structural clarity, and expressive balance. Their interpretation highlights the dialogic nature of the works, emphasizing the interplay between the two instruments rather than a hierarchical solo-accompaniment model. Prize-winning performers with a growing international profile, they bring both technical precision and interpretive insight to this debut recording for Da Vinci Classics.

Recorded in September 2024 at DV Studios (Sala Musicale Giardino, Crema, Italy), the album offers a warm and detailed acoustic that enhances the dynamic interplay between violin and piano. With a total runtime of approximately 69 minutes, this release captures a pivotal chapter in chamber music history, where tradition and innovation converge to define a modern instrumental identity.

Additional Details

Label: DA VINCI CLASSICS

Genre: Classical

Run Time: 68 mins

Release Date: 09/18/26

UPC: 746160919836