Gabriel Fauré (Faure)

[Madiel]

I'm sure @Madiel will be celebrating Fauré's anniversary year. I remember him being rather enamored with this composer's music and, honestly, who could blame him? He's a fabulous composer.

I don't really do things like celebrate anniversary years, but now that you've mentioned one...

[Mandryka]

A fine set or from what I've heard from it thus far.

Yes it is - though I'm not sure I really like the tone of the piano!

(By the way, welcome here. Good to see a new name!)

[Le Buisson Ardent]

Yes it is - though I'm not sure I really like the tone of the piano!

(By the way, welcome here. Good to see a new name!)

Yeah, I think I still prefer Kathryn Stott's survey on Hyperion.

[DavidW]

A fine set or from what I've heard from it thus far.

I still want to listen to it and have it queued up... but I literally just listened to some other newish Faure piano music! 

[Le Buisson Ardent]

I still want to listen to it and have it queued up... but I literally just listened to some other newish Faure piano music! 

Excellent! I'll be curious to read what you make of Debargue's performances.

[Spotted Horses]

Yes it is - though I'm not sure I really like the tone of the piano!

I listened to one brief piece from the set, I don't remember which, but the sound of the piano (probably due to audio engineering) put me off. So for the moment it is at the bottom of the list of Faure cycles that I must listen to. I mostly listen to Stott and Collard but I've been meaning to listen to Doyen forever.

[Mandryka]

Very good singing here from Jérôme Corréas - lovely for summer! This is top Fauré!

[Mandryka]

Superb Chanson D'Ève from Karine Deshayesu

[Mandryka]

And an even more superb Chanson D'Ève from Irma Kolassi - she recorded it more than once I think, so there's something to explore there. Very "timeless" style, there's nothing old fashioned about the sound, the projection, the vocality. Nobility and fragility, great colour, never heavy, often heady. Good sound too in these remasterings.

This cycle by Fauré is very reminiscent of Berlioz I think. 

[ritter]

Mme. Kolassi has been a favourite of mine since I first discovered her some years ago. Her other recoding of La Chanson d'Ève is live (from 1957), on INA Mémoire Vive.



Just as an aside, Mme. Kolassi gave the French première of Schoenberg's Erwartung (under Hans Rosbaud, no less). The performance is available on the Melism label (which has very limited distribution AFAIK).

[ritter]

She also sang in Wozzek in French, conducted by Horenstein. 9 Nov 1950 in Paris.  Boulez was present and comments that it was the first time he'd heard the opera. Horenstein knew Berg. 

Yes, that performance is also available on CD (on Malibran), but note Kolassi does not sing Marie, but the tiny secondary rôle of Margret.

[Mandryka]

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/theme-and-variations-op-73-gabriel-faure/z6gl8yebwyaja

An anonymous but rather good op 73 Theme and Variations here - clearly an oldie because you can hear a scratch on the LP. A bottle of beer for the first person to identify who's playing. Duration 12:27

[Florestan]

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/theme-and-variations-op-73-gabriel-faure/z6gl8yebwyaja

An anonymous but rather good op 73 Theme and Variations here - clearly an oldie because you can hear a scratch on the LP. A bottle of beer for the first person to identify who's playing. Duration 12:27

What??? Without a 12yo Irish single malt I can't be bothered even to click the link. 

[Mandryka]

Mme. Kolassi has been a favourite of mine since I first discovered her some years ago. Her other recoding of La Chanson d'Ève is live (from 1957), on INA Mémoire Vive.



Just as an aside, Mme. Kolassi gave the French première of Schoenberg's Erwartung (under Hans Rosbaud, no less). The performance is available on the Melism label (which has very limited distribution AFAIK).

It would be good to find a singer with diction clear enough for me to understand the words. I don't think it's because I'm not a native francophone, I can understand spoken French well.

[Mandryka]

L'horizon chimérique and Mirages from Jacques Herbillon. Text aware and clear diction, with resultant surprises, tensions. Paraskivesco really seems at home in the Fauré idiom - as I'm typing this he's being very impressive in Danceuse from Mirages -  it makes me wish to hear him in the chamber and solo piano music.

 

[ritter]

L'horizon chimérique and Mirages from Jacques Herbillon. Text aware and clear diction, with resultant surprises, tensions. Parakivesco really seems at home in the Fauré idiom - as I'm typing this he's being very impressive in Danceuse from Mirages -  it makes me wish to hear him in the chamber and solo piano music.

 

Théodore Paraskivsco's set of Debussy's (almost) complete solo piano music, initially on Calliope and then reissued in Indesens, is superb!

[Mandryka]

Just a note to say that this - Fauré:  Les voix du clair-obscur  by Jean Michel Nectoux -- is outstanding. Every home should have one, quoi qu'il en coûte 

He's written a shorter one for Fayard which I've not seen -- but it's obviously going to be inferior.

[Mandryka]

I think you mean Jean-Claude Pennetier - he has recorded four CDs of Faure's piano music.  I like his approach quite a bit: very much in the spirit of the music as I understand it - nothing exaggerated, sparingly use of pedaling so that the textures are transparent, allowing the listener to appreciate Faure's interior writing to the fullest.

Correct, at least if the recording of the op 103 preludes is typical. Has anyone heard his CD of the cello sonatas with Roland Pidoux?

[Mandryka]

Impressive Chanson D'Ève from Anne Marie Rodde and Theodore Paraskivesco. Very clear diction (I (inevitably sound like my father, who used to complain that you can't understand the words when The Beatles sing.) And Paraskivesco predictably alert to the nuances.

[Spotted Horses]

I think you mean Jean-Claude Pennetier - he has recorded four CDs of Faure's piano music.  I like his approach quite a bit: very much in the spirit of the music as I understand it - nothing exaggerated, sparingly use of pedaling so that the textures are transparent, allowing the listener to appreciate Faure's interior writing to the fullest.

I also agree on Stott's performances.

I tried the nine preludes in Pennetier's recordings. Satisfying, but not the arresting sort of experience that would motivate me to add another set to my collection (Stott, Hubeau, Doyen, Collard) plus key works by other performers (Heidsiec, Hewitt, Roge). I'm thinking I should listen to Hamelin's Hyperion release and Le Sage's Nocturnes.