Debussy, Franck & Others: Chamber Works Marie Bégin & Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon

• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918): Violin Sonata in G Minor, L. 140:
• 1 Debussy: Violin Sonata in G Minor, L. 140: I. Allegro vivo 05:19
• 2 Debussy: Violin Sonata in G Minor, L. 140: II. Intermède. Fantasque et léger 04:57
• 3 Debussy: Violin Sonata in G Minor, L. 140: III. Finale. Très animé 04:43
• Karol Szymanowski (1882 - 1937): Mythes, Op. 30:
• 4 Szymanowski: Mythes, Op. 30: No. 1, La fontaine d'Aréthuse 05:58
• 5 Szymanowski: Mythes, Op. 30: No. 2, Narcisse 08:03
• 6 Szymanowski: Mythes, Op. 30: No. 3, Dryades et Pan 08:22
• César Franck (1822 - 1890): Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8:
• 7 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8: I. Allegretto ben moderato 06:52
• 8 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8: II. Allegro molto 08:45
• 9 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8: III. Recitativo-Fantasia. Ben moderato - Molto lento 07:57
• 10 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8: IV. Allegretto poco mosso 06:34
• Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924):
• 11 Fauré: 3 Songs, Op. 7: No. 1, Après un rêve (Arr. for Violin & Piano) 02:53
• Claude Debussy:
• 12 Debussy: Beau soir, L. 6 (Arr. J. Heifetz for Violin & Piano) 02:34
• Total Runtime 01:12:57

Info for Debussy, Franck & Others: Chamber Works

For their debut album on ATMA Classique, violinist Marie Bégin and pianist Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon present sonatas for violin and piano by Claude Debussy and Cesar Franck, as well as Karol Szymanovski's Mythes, Op. 20, a rarity in the modern repertoire for violin and piano. Canadian violinist Marie Bégin has performed in recitals in Canada, the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom and China. She was a soloist with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy and the Agora Symphony Orchestra, among others. She has been a member of the renowned Saguenay Quartet (Alcan Quartet) since 2018 and a violin soloist with the Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean. Hailed by CBC as one of the "30 hot classical musicians under 30", 24-year-old pianist Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon stands out for his fervor, his profound musical interpretations and his wide color palette.

Marie Bégin, violin
Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon, piano

Marie Bégin
Canadian violinist Marie Bégin has performed in recitals in Canada, the United States, The United Kingdom, Europe, and China. She was soloist with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Les Violons du Roy, and the Agora Symphony Orchestra, among others. She is frequently invited to perform in several renowned ensembles, notably, as assistant concertmaster of the Hulencourt Soloist Chamber Orchestra for concerts in Milan, Brussels, and Spain. A passionate chamber player, she collaborates with renowned artists such as Charles Richard-Hamelin and Andrew Wan. At age 26, she was appointed first violin of the Saguenay Quartet (Alcan) as well as concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean. She also forms a permanent duo with pianist Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon, a group that has been heard at the Riviera Music Academy in Switzerland, among others. The duo is currently working on a recording of 20th century works for violin and piano.

A graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, Marie Bégin studied with Andrée Azar, Jean Angers, and Darren Lowe. She then pursued her studies in Europe with Zakhar Bron, at his academy in Switzerland, but also at the Menuhin Academy, Kronberg Academy, and Mozarteum University.

Marie Bégin has been selected in several major international competitions, including the Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland and the Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition. She has won several prizes, including the grand prize at the Festival-Concours Pierre-de-Saurel and the international Rotary Douja d'Or prize awarded by Switzerland, France, Germany, and Italy. She is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. She plays on a J.B. Vuillaume violin (1850) graciously loaned by Canimex Inc.

Booklet for Debussy, Franck & Others: Chamber Works