Gabriel Fauré (Faure)

Started by The Emperor, July 21, 2007, 10:46:34 AM

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orbital

Any views on his ballade for piano and orchestra?

schweitzeralan

#41
Quote from: Que on April 07, 2009, 10:49:21 AM
NÖ åččèñt?  ??? Barbarism!! :o :o

;D

Q

Didn't have one on the keyboard.  Je le regrette.  Malgre (no accent)  le problem, j'aime les oevres de Faure.

schweitzeralan

Quote from: bhodges on April 07, 2009, 10:42:38 AM
(Note: I have merged schweitzeralan's new post with an older existing thread.  Apparently the Search function here gives different results for "Fauré" and "Faure," i.e., without an accent.  My hunch is that people searching usually won't include the accent in the search box, so I didn't do so here.  Carry on!  :D)

--Bruce

Thanks, Bruce.  Should have checked out the thread.

bhodges

Quote from: schweitzeralan on April 07, 2009, 12:21:19 PM
Thanks, Bruce.  Should have checked out the thread.

No, no, you're fine.  I wouldn't have thought to include the accent in his name, but the search box does it meticulously!  So if you searched for "Fauré" you'd only get that, and not "Faure." 

Perhaps I'll make an inquiry to Rob, since this is applicable to many composers (e.g., Bartók).

--Bruce

SonicMan46

Quote from: orbital on April 07, 2009, 11:03:52 AM
Any views on his ballade for piano and orchestra?

Hello Orbital - the single disc below of Fauré's Orchestra Works is an excellent disc w/ Tortelier & the BBC Philharmonic; different soloists depending on the works w/ Kathryn Stott on the piano Ballade - listing of pieces included HERE - Dave  :D



orbital

Thanks Dave. I'll look that up  :)

Mozart

Ive been exploring...so far i likey. His 1st piano quartet is great


and this too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/mpgyTl8yqbw
"I am the musical tree, eat of my fruit and your spirit shall rejoiceth!"
- Amadeus 6:26

karlhenning

Quote from: bhodges on April 07, 2009, 10:42:38 AM
(Note: I have merged schweitzeralan's new post with an older existing thread.  Apparently the Search function here gives different results for "Fauré" and "Faure," i.e., without an accent.

Hmph

Herman

This is a tortured subject for me. I'm very fond of Fauré, particularly the music he wrote late in his life, such as his Nocturnes for piano solo, his 2nd violin sonata, the two cello sonatas, the two piano quintets and most of all, his two last pieces, the string quartet and the piano trio.

There are times I don't even think of this music (like Brahms and Reger, Fauré is a 'busy' composer and not on my most wanted list, like Mozart, Haydn, Chopin and Schumann), and there are times I listen to him every day. This is one of those times. I have listened to his string quartet almost every day for two months now.

Problem is, it is very hard to find fully satisfying recordings of this music.

String Quartet. I once heard this in a concert, I think by the Dutch Gaudeamus Quartet, about a million years ago in Rotterdam. Mesmerizing. However the best version on record I could get hold of was the Ad Libitum Quartet on Naxos. Recently I got the Ebene Quartet, which is quite good, too. The Via Nova Quartet (another French quartet) in the late seventies is not good. The Wigmore Hall recording by the Ysaye Quartet isn't really good either.

This music needs serenity without being soporific. The inherent extasy should be handled with great care. It turns out virtually no one gets it completely right.

The piano trio. Everyone knows the Beaux Arts Trio not the way to go here. Jean Hubeau and partners? Nope, see above. Basically I'm still with my old Rouvier. Kantorow and Muller recording.

The quintets, oh, don't even think about it.

So I know most people aren't even into this music, but those who do: what are your favorite recordings of these pieces, please?

DFO

If you aren't allergic to historical recordings, try those:
SQ: Pro-Arte SQ (1924)
Piano quartet No.2 op.45: Marguerite Long, J.Thibaud, Maurice Vieux and P.Fournier (1940)

Franco

I like the Domus in the piano quartets and quintet.

Herman

I don't know which mod, looking for action, put my Fauré initiative from the General section and put it here, without rhyme or reason.

May I suggest henceforth all Beethoven topics be buried on one Beethoven spot?

snyprrr

#52
Quote from: Herman on August 24, 2009, 04:56:48 AM
This is a tortured subject for me.

Problem is, it is very hard to find fully satisfying recordings of this music.

String Quartet. I once heard this in a concert, I think by the Dutch Gaudeamus Quartet, about a million years ago in Rotterdam. Mesmerizing. However the best version on record I could get hold of was the Ad Libitum Quartet on Naxos. Recently I got the Ebene Quartet, which is quite good, too. The Via Nova Quartet (another French quartet) in the late seventies is not good. The Wigmore Hall recording by the Ysaye Quartet isn't really good either.

This music needs serenity without being soporific. The inherent extasy should be handled with great care. It turns out virtually no one gets it completely right.

The piano trio. Everyone knows the Beaux Arts Trio not the way to go here. Jean Hubeau and partners? Nope, see above. Basically I'm still with my old Rouvier. Kantorow and Muller recording.

The quintets, oh, don't even think about it.

So I know most people aren't even into this music, but those who do: what are your favorite recordings of these pieces, please?

Yes, sublime performances are elusive. I too went throught the SQ Sweepstakes many years ago. As I remember:

Medici/Nimbus... NOPE!

Parrenin/EMI...mmm...eh...ok, but...

cd w/Bridge,Milhaud,Faure...is this the StanfordSQ?...I hear good things about this.

Via Nova...NOPE! (check!)

Ysaye...Herman's is the second nix...NOPE! (EDIT: I think Herman meant the Wigmore/"live" recording with the bad sound. Sarge stands by the issue with the Magnard coupling.)
Lowenguth/VoxBox...this is what I currently have...it's good...it's ok

AdLibitum/Naxos...have to take Herman's word here...sounds interesting. (EDIT: there are some reviews that claim there is a "boominess" in the bass on this recording, though they seem to like the performance.)
MiamiSQ/Elan...I haaave heard pretty good things about this one. It comes with the 2 Saint-Saens SQs, and just for values' sake, this might be a keeper. (EDIT: Listening now.  Mmmm, it's probably not the very last word on the subject, but it is individual.)

EDIT: Quatour Ebene... have to take Herman's word here.

EDIT: Guarnieri SQ: they play Deb/Rav + Faure. Has anyone heard this?
Wow, brainfart...can't think of any more...



I do agree with Herman that apparently no one "gets" Faure. Ha, Herman, I'm laughing at your "Ben Stein" assessment, haha, very dead pan, very true!

I also had Collard's EMI (as I had the whole EMI shebang). It was good enough for me at the time, but I don't know how critical I could be about this repertoire.

Once again, if ANYONE has a definitive version of the SQ, I'd love to know it, though, as with Herman, I'm not quite sure. Perhaps the Lowenguth is the best bet (perhaps I'm biased against it because of its age (which I probably shouldn't be)). This is one area where we really need only expert opinions...only those who have heard 5 or more versions need apply!!!



Also, I have a delightful little DG disc with orchestral works, with Ozawa, I think. I keep it right next to a similar Grieg disc (DG; Jarvi). Those two cds are my "comfy zone" music for curling up with (cue Finzi!)!

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: snyprrr on August 25, 2009, 08:37:09 AM
Also, I have a delightful little DG disc with orchestral works, with Ozawa, I think. I keep it right next to a similar Grieg disc (DG; Jarvi). Those two cds are my "comfy zone" music for curling up with (cue Finzi!)!

I can't help with the chamber music. I have very little, and only one version of the Quartet, the wrong version apparently  ;D  (Ysaye) I won't know what's wrong with it, though, until I hear something better (different?). In the meantime I'll remain blissfully ignorant as I listen to it.

But I second your Ozawa disc. That is utterly lovely, and gets my vote as the best thing Ozawa has ever done...although Barenboim's Pavane (also with chorus) digs deeper emotionally (but then this is Fauré and some may think getting too weepy is unidiomatic  ;) )

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Herman

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on August 25, 2009, 08:58:40 AM
I can't help with the chamber music. I have very little, and only one version of the Quartet, the wrong version apparently  ;D  (Ysaye) I won't know what's wrong with it, though, until I hear something better (different?). In the meantime I'll remain blissfully ignorant as I listen to it.

Well, ça depend. My Ysaye recording is the live one in the Wigmore Hall series, with a very good Debussy. I find this version of the Fauré quartet a little too muscular, and the climax in the middle mvt is not pleasant to hear.

However it could well be their studio recording is much different and better.

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: Herman on August 25, 2009, 10:08:57 AM
However it could well be their studio recording is much different and better.

I do have the studio performance (it's coupled with the Magnard Quartet...which is the reason I bought the CD). I don't find it too muscular, but we may have different tolerances here, different expectations for the music. In any case I'll continue to monitor this thread for further recommendations.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Harpo

I have sung the Requiem--it is very pretty and satisfying, one of my favorite choral pieces.(I don't know what version we own.) I have also sung a number of his art songs. French is a little hard to sing in because of the nasal consonants--you have to fake them.
If music be the food of love, hold the mayo.

SonicMan46

Quote from: snyprrr on August 25, 2009, 08:37:09 AM
Yes, sublime performances are elusive. I too went throught the SQ Sweepstakes many years ago. As I remember:

MiamiSQ/Elan...I haaave heard pretty good things about this one. It comes with the 2 Saint-Saens SQs, and just for values' sake, this might be a keeper.

Wow, brainfart...can't think of any more...

Once again, if ANYONE has a definitive version of the SQ, I'd love to know it, though, as with Herman, I'm not quite sure.

Well, I intermittently 'cull through' my Faure Chamber Music collection, but have not done so in a while - hmmm; maybe now is the time!  :D

Regarding the String Quartet, I do own the Miami SQ (shown below) - have not listened to this disc in a while, so will give it a spin soon!   :)


Herman

The last couple of days I have been listening to Fauré Nocturnes, by Eric Heidsieck. Particularly the last one, with it's wild Valkyrie Ride in the middle, and the sinking bass in the last two measures, is a stunning piece of music. Amazing, too, the way these opus numbers line up: Nocturne nr 13 is opus 119. The String Quartet is nr 120 and the Piano Trio is 121, and then it's all over.

Tomo

Ironically, the same disc I was listening to that prompted me to look up a thread on Faure, albeit I was on No. 12 when I finished and read your post (No. 13 is now fittingly playing).

Now, I'm thinking of getting the SACD Requiem mentioned on the first page of the thread. The Naxos version was the first Faure I ever purchased (Heidsieck's was the second) and I've never grown tired of it.  I've had DVD-A for years, but never a SACD player, but am about to order a blu-ray player that plays both and want an inaugural disc to play when I get it.