Anastasia Kobekina and Jean-Selim Abdelmoula

We’re delighted to be able to offer free tickets to 8 – 25 year olds for this concert, via the CAVATINA scheme. Select a CAVATINA ticket when booking, and make sure you bring proof of age to our Box Office when collecting your tickets.

Anastasia Kobekina cello
Jean-Selim Abdelmoula Pianist

Beethoven Cello Sonata in A No 3 Op 69
Fauré Violin Sonata in A No 1 Op 13 (arr. cello)

Award-winning Russian cellist, Anastasia Kobekina, has played her rare Stradivarius instrument in major concert halls all over the world and brings to St George’s a contrasting programme of Beethoven and Fauré.  Beethoven’s Cello Sonata Op 69 is the third of five and was composed in 1807-8 during his productive middle period.  It is said to be the first such sonata to give both piano and cello equal importance as the fashion at the time was for the virtuosic writing for keyboard to dominate with the string tones having more of a supporting role.  Fauré completed his four-movement sonata in 1876 and dedicated it to his close friend Paul Viardot, the brother of Marianne Viardot with whom the composer was in love.  The work was an instant success and marked a turning point for the 31-year old Fauré; the sonata is frequently referenced in Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time.