Sibbe Live!: Soirée a Paris
22.04.2026 19:00 – 20:00
Standard price 20€ +order fee (from 1,50 € + 0,65 % of the order)
Students/pensioners/children 15€ +order fee (from 1,50 € + 0,65 % of the order)
Programme
G. Fauré: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in A major, Op. 13
C. Debussy: Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor
F. Poulenc: Sonata for Violin and Piano, FP 119
Hanna Lipiäinen, violin
Lili Ahopelto, piano
Gabriel Fauré’s (1845–1924) First Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 13, is one of his early masterpieces and an important work in the history of French chamber music. Composed in 1875–1876, it represents the creative force of Fauré’s youth, in which romantic expression is combined with his characteristic refinement and clarity of form. The work was dedicated to the violinist Paul Viardot, son of Fauré’s close friend Pauline Viardot. It received its premiere in February 1877.
The first movement, Allegro molto, is lively and energetic, full of rhythmic vitality and singing themes. The dialogue between piano and violin is equal, with both instruments taking part in the melodic and harmonic development. The movement carries Fauré’s typical brightness and sense of forward motion, where romantic passion meets classical structure. The slow second movement, Andante, provides a counterbalance to the intensity of the opening. It is lyrical and warm, almost like a vocal meditation in which the violin sings with a human voice. The piano accompaniment features subtle polyphony, and the harmonies shift gently through soft modulations. The scherzo-like third movement, Allegro vivo, is light and dance-like. Its rhythmic sparkle and clever accents are reminiscent of Mendelssohn’s spirituality, but Fauré gives it its own French charm—clear and elegant. The finale, Allegro quasi presto, is a fast and virtuosic conclusion, combining technical brilliance with melodic poetry. The movement culminates in a radiant A major, bringing the work to an energetic and hopeful close.
Fauré’s First Violin Sonata marked a new direction in French chamber music, which had long been dominated by German models. Its refined harmonies, singing melodies, and balanced structure made it quickly popular, and it remains one of Fauré’s most beloved and frequently performed chamber works.
Claude Debussy’s (1862–1918) Sonata for Violin and Piano was completed in 1917, only a year before the composer’s death. It was his final finished work and is part of a planned cycle of six sonatas, of which he only completed three.
Debussy wrote the sonata during a difficult period in his life and a turbulent time in history—he had stomach cancer, and France was living in the shadow of the First World War. Despite illness and war, he continued composing for as long as his strength permitted. Debussy wrote the work partly as a statement in support of French culture and to offer a counterweight to the dominant position of the German musical tradition. In this sense, the sonata is also self-aware—a melancholic yet proud farewell.
Debussy was seriously ill at the time of the sonata’s premiere and appeared visibly weakened on stage. He performed the work with violinist Gaston Poulet in May 1917 in Paris.
The sonata is concise and deeply personal. The first movement, Allegro vivo, is lively yet fragile. Its rhythmic energy hides within sensitivity and restlessness. One can also sense some Spanish notes in the music, especially in its rhythmic motion and melodic gestures. The second movement, Intermède: Fantasque et léger, is light and playful, yet tinged with wistfulness. The third movement, Très animé, is animated and at times dramatic, recalling themes from earlier in the work.
Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) composed his Sonata for Violin and Piano in 1942–1943 in memory of poet Federico García Lorca. Poulenc had made several attempts to write a sonata for a string instrument, but only the violin sonata was ever completed, after several abandoned efforts. It was also his only sonata for violin. Violinist Ginette Neveu played a significant role in the sonata’s creation—aside from general support, she also advised him on writing the violin part. Poulenc referred to the sonata as a “monster” due to the challenging process of composing it. It was premiered by Neveu and Poulenc in the summer of 1943, though Poulenc later revised it, giving it its final form in 1949.
Poulenc remained in German-occupied France during the Second World War, and expressed political views through his choice of dedications to carefully selected poets. Lorca—shot by fascists during the Spanish Civil War in 1936—was a deliberate choice as dedication. The movement titles Allegro con fuoco (“fast and fiery”) and Presto tragico (“very fast and tragically”) are easily understood in light of the work’s history. The outer movements reflect the sorrow and grief over Lorca’s death. However, the middle movement, Intermezzo, is tender and wistful; the score even includes a direct quotation from Lorca: “the guitar makes dreams cry.” The pizzicatos of the movement evoke the sound of the guitar, contrasted with a beautifully languid main melody.
Hanna Lipiäinen studied at Tampere University of Applied Sciences between 2006–2011 under the tutelage of Nikolai Fadeev, graduating as an instrumental pedagogue with excellent marks. She also completed the recital portion of her soloist specialization studies in Tampere under Fadeev’s direction, also graduating with excellent marks in 2012. She continued her studies at the Sibelius Academy from 2011 in the performance programme, studying with Merit Palas and Jaakko Ilves and graduating with excellent marks in 2014. Between 2019–2021 she furthered her soloist studies at Lahti Conservatory, graduating in autumn 2021 with excellent marks. Hanna has participated in numerous masterclasses with teachers such as Paavo Pohjola, Grazyna Gebert, and the New Helsinki Quartet, and she also studied under the private tutelage of Alexander Vinnitsky.
Hanna works actively as an orchestral and chamber musician. She has performed several recital series in Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Tartu, and has taken part in numerous chamber music concert series with the Kaveet Quartet and in many varying ensembles both in Finland and abroad. She actively seeks to promote the recognition of rarely heard violin repertoire in Finland and has in recent years focused especially on forgotten violin arrangements from opera and ballet literature.
Canadian-born pianist Lili Ahopelto completed her master’s studies at the Sibelius Academy in 2022 under Erik Tawaststjerna and Antti Hotti. She also studied at the University of Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor’ degree in Music in 2018 under the guidance of Emily Chiang. Lili has participated in numerous masterclasses as both piano soloist and chamber musician in Finland and Canada, studying with teachers such as Paavali Jumppanen, Marko Ylönen, Jane Coop, André Laplante, Timothy Steeves, Jamie Parker, Benjamin Pasternack, Ronan O’Hora, José Luis Estellés, Emile Cantor, David Louie, and Sara Davis Buechner.
In 2020, Lili performed as soloist with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia in the Kakadu Piano Trio in the finals of the Ilmari Hannikainen Piano Chamber Music Competition. She was a prize-winner in the Helmi Vesa Competition in 2019, won the Rosebowl Grand Prize at the Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music, and was named Best Pianist in the final round of the London Music Festival. She has also made it to the provincial finals in Ontario four times, placing third in 2017. Lili has performed Sibelius’s Finlandia as a soloist together with a choir at several venues, including concerts celebrating Finland’s 100th anniversary as well as FinnGrandFests in Toronto and Sudbury. She has given numerous solo recitals in Canada featuring other Finnish repertoire. At the 2018 FinnGrandFest, she was awarded the Silver Medal of the Finnish Canadian Cultural Federation along with a certificate of honour for her long-standing work in preserving Finnish culture and maintaining connections between the Finnish diaspora and their homeland.
Tickets can be purchased at the museum’s ticket desk from January 21, 2026 onward.