Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Peter Bruns, cello
Roglit Ishay, piano
Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) was a French composer who wrote in a variety of styles, renowned for his command of orchestration. For more on Koechlin, see my score video of his violin sonata (youtu.be/oCNe3PmOqhg).
While Koechlin's writing for cello is relatively well-known - his cello sonata has been performed or recorded by the likes of Anssi Karttunen and Bruns himself - the "Chansons bretonnes" are not quite so popularly acclaimed. However, these delicate and clear arrangements of Breton folk songs have their own charm, showcasing the wide range of moods and techniques that make the cello a special instrument.
Note that Koechlin also arranged a third set of songs, which you can listen to here (youtube.com/watch?v=ETMZ2fHvJpA&list=OLAK5uy_mw47vuXzKwwwme5E2ClQzg0D4sTGXwp7g&index=17), but the pieces in it are apparently unpublished. If I can obtain the manuscript scans, I'll make a score video with the third part separately and link it in the description.
Peter Bruns, cello
Roglit Ishay, piano
Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) was a French composer who wrote in a variety of styles, renowned for his command of orchestration. For more on Koechlin, see my score video of his violin sonata (youtu.be/oCNe3PmOqhg).
While Koechlin's writing for cello is relatively well-known - his cello sonata has been performed or recorded by the likes of Anssi Karttunen and Bruns himself - the "Chansons bretonnes" are not quite so popularly acclaimed. However, these delicate and clear arrangements of Breton folk songs have their own charm, showcasing the wide range of moods and techniques that make the cello a special instrument.
Note that Koechlin also arranged a third set of songs, which you can listen to here (youtube.com/watch?v=ETMZ2fHvJpA&list=OLAK5uy_mw47vuXzKwwwme5E2ClQzg0D4sTGXwp7g&index=17), but the pieces in it are apparently unpublished. If I can obtain the manuscript scans, I'll make a score video with the third part separately and link it in the description.
