Francis Poulenc completed his Sonate pour violoncelle et piano, Op. 143, in 1948. He first sketched it in 1940. It was dedicated to the French cellist Pierre Fournier[1], who had helped with the technical aspects of the cello part, as the composer was unfamiliar with the instrument.[2]
The sonata is in four movements:
Each movement is in ternary form, having a contrasting middle section. The piece makes much use of Neo-Baroque and Neo-Classical styles.