{"product_id":"mathieu-arakawa-cortege_aec-nvon6305-2","title":"Mathieu  Arakawa - Cortege","description":"\u003cp\u003eViolinist Véronique Mathieu and pianist Jasmin Arakawa present Navona Records' CORTÈGE. The name cortège, or \"solemn procession,\" covers a vast expanse of meaning - while it most often describes a funeral procession, the term also refers to a joyful wedding procession, or a group that follows a person of importance in their honor. Mathieu and Arakawa balance the solemn and the celebratory in this sensitive, dynamic performance. Exploring the works of four French composers - Claude Debussy, Lili Boulanger, Nicolas Bacri, Francis Poulenc - the album is emotional, refined, and triumphant all at the same time. The album begins with a trip back to 1917 with Claude Debussy's Sonata for violin and piano in G minor. Written when the composer was suffering from terminal cancer, a year before his death, he wrote to a friend that \"this sonata will be interesting from a documentary point of view and as an example of what may be produced by a sick man in time of war.\" Mathieu and Arakawa handle this introspective work with technical precision and grace. The moving album finds it's title track in composer Lili Boulanger's 3 Pieces for violin and piano. The second movement, Cortège, presents the other side of the word's meaning - it depicts a victorious procession through sweeping gestures, a brisk tempo, and a bright, sunny energy. Mathieu and Arakawa pay homage to the young composer, whose life was cut short by illness, and demonstrate the triumph that can be created even in a grave situation. The Bacri Sonata breve for solo violin, op. 45 and Poulenc Sonata for violin and piano, FP 119 wrap up the album with passion and a demonstration of the duo's virtuosity and compatibility as a musical unit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Navona","offers":[{"title":"New \/ CD \/ Cortege Navona","offer_id":47776305709364,"sku":"NVON6305.2","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0790\/7436\/1652\/files\/3837527-2650409_e063e1f0-d73e-4b6e-a44d-57e8c4d023be.jpg?v=1791507747","url":"https:\/\/www.fye.com\/products\/mathieu-arakawa-cortege_aec-nvon6305-2","provider":"FYE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}