Gabriel Fauré (Faure)

[Baron Scarpia]

Now moving on to the Piano Quintets.

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There is a clear change in style here, these are both relatively late works, in contrast to both of the Piano Quartets. The string ensemble here is a string quartet, rather than a string trio, and there Faure uses it as more self-sufficient sub-ensemble. If a string quartet is the Chamber music equivalent of a symphony, normally a Piano Quartet or Quintet seems to be the chamber music equivalent of a piano concerto, with back-and-forth interplay between the piano and string sections, each section having passages where they dominate while their counterpart is silent or accompanies. In this piece the strings are almost always to the fore, with the piano playing a burbling accompaniment, perhaps offering a subtle counter-melody. I hardly can recall a passage where the piano boldly comes forward to state or develop a theme. This is a contrast to the Piano Quartets, which strike me as following the conventional style of a Piano Quartet.

In this work Faure works in a more unique personal style, and I am looking forward to listening to the second Piano Quintet, which is really my favorite of the group.

[San Antone]

Now moving on to the Piano Quintets.

[asin]B000002ZVF[/asin]

There is a clear change in style here, these are both relatively late works, in contrast to both of the Piano Quartets. The string ensemble here is a string quartet, rather than a string trio, and there Faure uses it as more self-sufficient sub-ensemble. If a string quartet is the Chamber music equivalent of a symphony, normally a Piano Quartet or Quintet seems to be the chamber music equivalent of a piano concerto, with back-and-forth interplay between the piano and string sections, each section having passages where they dominate while their counterpart is silent or accompanies. In this piece the strings are almost always to the fore, with the piano playing a burbling accompaniment, perhaps offering a subtle counter-melody. I hardly can recall a passage where the piano boldly comes forward to state or develop a theme. This is a contrast to the Piano Quartets, which strike me as following the conventional style of a Piano Quartet.

In this work Faure works in a more unique personal style, and I am looking forward to listening to the second Piano Quintet, which is really my favorite of the group.

These works, the quartets and quintets, are wonderful, imo.  And I have enjoyed reading your posts about them.  Carry on!   

[Baron Scarpia]

These works, the quartets and quintets, are wonderful, imo.  And I have enjoyed reading your posts about them.  Carry on!   

Glad to hear you find my comment interesting. I'll probably spend another day with this piece before moving on to the final Piano Quintet. Then there is the Piano Trio.

[kyjo]

The Piano Trio is gorgeous. I think I prefer it to the two piano quintets, great as they are.

[71 dB]

My recommendation for an alternative recording:

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Q

Seconded. Wonderful disc!  0:)

[TheGSMoeller]

Seconded. Wonderful disc!  0:)

Third-ed 

[71 dB]

The Piano Trio is gorgeous. I think I prefer it to the two piano quintets, great as they are.

Somehow I have almost ignored this work, but I'm listening* to it again after 10 years or so.

* Dumay, Lodeón and Collard

[Baron Scarpia]

I've moved on to the Piano Quintet No 2, and have to admit I've been getting fatigued of the Domus recordings, which are a bit dry for my taste, with a string sound that can be a bit grating. I've continued with the Pascal Roge/Quatour Ysaye recording on Decca.

I find the work itself to be very fine. The first movement begins with a flowing piano figure against which strings introduce the primary theme, first solo, later in unison and in rich harmonization. A second theme begins with what sounds like an academic fugue, but this quickly evolves into free-flowing counterpoint. What I enjoy most about this quartet is the way that rather sharp functional dissonances are used as an expressive device. The scherzo is similar to the others in the series, initially dominated by intense writing for piano, with a central section where more lyrical contributions from the strings come to the fore. The slow movement, in my impression, is a continuation of the mood of the first movement, with lyrical writing for strings with sometimes dissonant harmonization dominating the music. The finale takes us from a rather jaunty beginning to a sublime close. I think of this as one of Faure's best works.

The Roge/Ysaye recording on Decca pleased me more than Domus (which doesn't seem to have the same magic as Susan Tomes' later ensemble, the Florestan Trio). Pascal Roge finds brings out Faure's subtle writing for piano better and the string ensemble is more flexible and expressive. Decca provides audio that has more "air" and is more pleasing to me. I think I will revisit the other piano quartets and quintet in the Roge/Ysaye recordings.

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Lastly will be the trio. The last time I listened to it, not long ago, was after listening to the Debussy and Ravel Piano Trios, and by contrast the Faure seemed disappointingly fore-square. I will approach it again shortly.

[Madiel]

I'm trying to look for this gorgeous album on CD...



So far, my only hit is one copy on Amazon Canada for over 200 Canadian dollars. Even if I was willing to spend that, Amazon is no good to me these days.

Any ideas or suggestions? Or do I just resign myself to iTunes?

EDIT: Slight progress, there's a copy on Amazon France/UK marketplaces for only about $140 dollars...

[Draško]

I'm trying to look for this gorgeous album on CD...



So far, my only hit is one copy on Amazon Canada for over 200 Canadian dollars. Even if I was willing to spend that, Amazon is no good to me these days.

Any ideas or suggestions? Or do I just resign myself to iTunes?

EDIT: Slight progress, there's a copy on Amazon France/UK marketplaces for only about $140 dollars...

There is a Parisian specialized second hand store that use to be called La Chaumière à Musique, now changed the name to Melomania, that is usually very well stocked with hard to find releases. They don't have it at the moment but you can try emailing them.

https://www.melomania.com/fr/melodies-55973

[Madiel]

There is a Parisian specialized second hand store that use to be called La Chaumière à Musique, now changed the name to Melomania, that is usually very well stocked with hard to find releases. They don't have it at the moment but you can try emailing them.

https://www.melomania.com/fr/melodies-55973

Thanks. I see that they have an alert system, which is a great idea, so I've set one up for the album.

[Mandryka]

There was a really hot night here in the Uk a couple of months ago. I couldn't sleep and so just got out of bed and made a drink at about 3 a.m. and I noticed that someone had sent me Eric Heidsieck's recording of the piano preludes. Very good -- or at least it sounded good that night. I think some of the late pieces are pleasant to hear, the trio, late nocturnes, these preludes, second quartet . . . .

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

There was a really hot night here in the Uk a couple of months ago. I couldn't sleep and so just got out of bed and made a drink at about 3 a.m. and I noticed that someone had sent me Eric Heidsieck's recording of the piano preludes. Very good -- or at least it sounded good that night. I think some of the late pieces are pleasant to hear, the trio, late nocturnes, these preludes, second quartet . . . .

Late pieces are "pleasant to hear?" That is the last thing I would expect to hear about them. They generally strike me as turbulently passionate. (I am thinking specifically about the solo piano music.)

[amw]

I noticed that someone had sent me Eric Heidsieck's recording of the piano preludes.

I don't know those but the Heidsieck & Tortelier recordings of the cello sonatas are definitely special. Maybe almost too intense, at times, but good.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

I don't know those but the Heidsieck & Tortelier recordings of the cello sonatas are definitely special. Maybe almost too intense, at times, but good.

I listened to that recently and got the impression that Heidsieck was a bit uncontrolled. I settled on Lodeon/Collard as my most preferred recording.

[Madiel]

Heidsieck/Tortelier ended up being one of the rare times I decided I needed to go get a 2nd recording of something. It's just too aggressive. As, I think, is mentioned earlier in this thread.

I found this one more to my liking.

[amw]

That's fair enough. I have five other recordings of the sonatas (...so far) and I guess I tend to keep that one for special occasions.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

What are the five?

Looking at my notes, my favorite version is actually Peter Bruns/Roglit Ishay, using an Erard piano.

[amw]

Bruns, Gaillard, Merlin, Poltéra & Salque.

I haven't noted down a favourite. It seems to depend very much on my mood/the current situation.

[Mandryka]

How agressive and passionate late Fauré wanted his late music to be played is an interesting historical question, or rather,  when I used to listen to this stuff more I remember looking into it, there's some research about it.

I don't know about the cello sonata, and neither do I know about "uncontroled'", but I do recall that in Heidsieck's  recording of the  Nocturnes there was a very convincing sense of natural progress in the music, the development of ideas in each nocturn sounded logical. For this reason I rated them highly.

As far as the preludes are concerned, I don't know the music well enough to comment on how successful Heidsieck's  performance is, apart to say that it was fun to listen to once at 3 a.m. I suspect that the preludes are rather good bits of music,