This sonata was the last composition by Debussy, who died in 1918. The violin sonata was intended as the third sonata in a cycle of six sonatas for various instruments. The first two sonatas in this unfinished cycle are the cello sonata and the sonata for flute, viola and harp. The violin sonata is a fairly short sonata, lasting a total of about 13 minutes. It was premiered on May 5, 1917, with Gaston Poulet playing the violin part and Debussy himself playing the piano part. This was also Debussy's last public performance.