In the First World War, Debussy turned to chamber music, seeking clarity and restraint in the French tradition. His Cello Sonata (1915) draws on vivid, colourful Baroque models, while the Violin Sonata (1917), his final completed work, balances playfulness with poignant intensity.

A decade earlier, Ravel’s String Quartet in F major (1903–04) revealed his mastery of tradition and innovation. With crystalline textures and rhythmic vitality, it divided critics at first but went on to become one of the century’s defining chamber works.

Debussy Sonata for cello and piano
Debussy Sonata for violin and piano
Ravel String Quartet in F major

Jennifer Owen violin
Tobias Chisnall violin
Douglas Coghill viola
Jonathan Békés cello
Karen Smithies  piano

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