International Mendelssohn Festival

Of friends and admirers

Friendships between composers and virtuosi are often a source of creative inspiration. One such friendship gave rise to the Grand Duo Concertant in E major on themes from Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera »Robert Le Diable«. Frédéric Chopin had only just arrived in Paris in 1831 when he attended the acclaimed premiere of the Meyerbeer work; a year later, he wrote the virtuoso duo for cello and piano at the instigation of the famous cellist August Franchomme. It remains as much of a secret whether the friendship preceded the composition or vice versa as the respective contribution made to the work by each of them.