Gabriel Fauré (Faure)

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

I hesitate to tell people how to spend their money, but I have gotten nothing but enjoyment from Stott's set. My exposure to Faure piano music was Collard, Stott, Hubeau and Doyen (in that order) and I mostly frequently find myself listening to Stott.

[Mirror Image]

I hesitate to tell people how to spend their money, but I have gotten nothing but enjoyment from Stott's set. My exposure to Faure piano music was Collard, Stott, Hubeau and Doyen (in that order) and I mostly frequently find myself listening to Stott.

Very good to know. Thanks for the feedback.

[Que]

I hesitate to tell people how to spend their money, but I have gotten nothing but enjoyment from Stott's set. My exposure to Faure piano music was Collard, Stott, Hubeau and Doyen (in that order) and I mostly frequently find myself listening to Stott.

Thanks for that.    I haven't got along with Collard... Need to try one of the others..

And what about Paul Crossley or Jean-Claude Pennetier?

Though, probably not a suprise coming from me, the music seems to cry out for the sound colours of an Érard....

If it was good enough for Fauré, it's certainly good enough for me...

Q

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Thanks for that.    I haven't got along with Collard... Need to try one of the others..

And what about Paul Crossley or Jean-Claude Pennetier?

Though, probably not a suprise coming from me, the music seems to cry out for the sound colours of an Érard....

If it was good enough for Fauré, it's certainly good enough for me...

Q

The only disc I know of which used a period piano for Faure is a recording of Cello and Piano music with Peter Bruns and Roglit Ishay. (I'm not saying others don't exist.)



At first I was taken aback by the "authentic" tone of the period cello, but I've come to enjoy this disc.

[San Antone]

Thanks for that.    I haven't got along with Collard... Need to try one of the others..

And what about Paul Crossley or Charles Pennetier?

Though, probably not a suprise coming from me, the music seems to cry out for the sound colours of an Érard....

If it was good enough for Fauré, it's certainly good enough for me...

Q

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.

[Que]

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.

Indeed, corrected. Thanks for the comments. 

Q

[Mandryka]

Here's a nice historic one that I like

https://www.youtube.com/v/Ui2fi_YUm4A

[Madiel]

Thanks for the clarification. It seems that Fauré's music really resonates with you. For this, I think people, like yourself, are beneficial to those listeners who have yet to figure out the composer as your descriptions and general opinion of the music can help guide us along.

P.S. Sorry about being an ass to you many months ago. I hope we can move on from here with even more ease.

Yes, Faure's music really resonates with me. Faure and Holmboe are the composers where I'm most likely to go on a mad binge listening to lots of works... and I think Faure would win. It doesn't mean I listen all the time, but when I do listen there's a high likelihood of me thinking "that's fantastic" and reaching for more. This thread and other reminders of Faure are dangerous.

And when my grandmother died a few years back, Faure's 10 large chamber pieces were basically the only thing I listened to for a couple of weeks. So yes, it's stuff that's very close to me.

But I don't own a recording of the Requiem. It's on my to-do list, I was trying a few out some months ago and didn't go back to that task (I can probably alternate with my Bach cello suites task). It's the chamber music, the piano music (some of which I've played), also the songs to a large extent though the later songs are not fully unlocked for me yet (some performances in the Hyperion series were disappointing).

Apology accepted and we seem to be getting along just fine at the moment.

[Ras]

I'm new to the music on this recording (so take this recommendation with a grain of salt), but I think the Danish cellist Andreas Brantelid and the Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg do a great job with Faure for cello and piano (on the Bis label):
(Brantelid's recording of Chopin's chamber music on EMI is great too by the way...).

[asin]B06XS78Y51[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

Yes, Faure's music really resonates with me. Faure and Holmboe are the composers where I'm most likely to go on a mad binge listening to lots of works... and I think Faure would win. It doesn't mean I listen all the time, but when I do listen there's a high likelihood of me thinking "that's fantastic" and reaching for more. This thread and other reminders of Faure are dangerous.

And when my grandmother died a few years back, Faure's 10 large chamber pieces were basically the only thing I listened to for a couple of weeks. So yes, it's stuff that's very close to me.

But I don't own a recording of the Requiem. It's on my to-do list, I was trying a few out some months ago and didn't go back to that task (I can probably alternate with my Bach cello suites task). It's the chamber music, the piano music (some of which I've played), also the songs to a large extent though the later songs are not fully unlocked for me yet (some performances in the Hyperion series were disappointing).

Apology accepted and we seem to be getting along just fine at the moment.

That's great to hear. I'm getting closer and closer to Faure. I think one problem I was having were the performances that I owned (many of the Hyperion recordings). It seems now I'm starting to 'crack the code' so to speak.

[Madiel]

That's great to hear. I'm getting closer and closer to Faure. I think one problem I was having were the performances that I owned (many of the Hyperion recordings). It seems now I'm starting to 'crack the code' so to speak.

Well I completely love the Domus/Florestan recordings on Hyperion, so... *shrug*

[71 dB]

Herreweghe's second recording of Requiem (1901 version) is a dud in my opinion. I was shocked when I heard it the first time a few years ago. I listened to it again yesterday and still dislike it. It seem the large orchestra destroys this work completely. My other version of Requiem is Jeremy Summerly on Naxos which is far superior imo.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Well I completely love the Domus/Florestan recordings on Hyperion, so... *shrug*

I like those, but like Roge/Quator Ysaye better, by a narrow margin.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Herreweghe's second recording of Requiem (1901 version) is a dud in my opinion. I was shocked when I heard it the first time a few years ago. I listened to it again yesterday and still dislike it. It seem the large orchestra destroys this work completely. My other version of Requiem is Jeremy Summerly on Naxos which is far superior imo.

I was thinking of listening to my Herreweghe recording, which seems to be an 1893 version. Sounds like you would prefer that one. I also have recordings of it in various big boxes (Ansermet, Cluytens) which I assume would use the bigger orchestra by default.

Note added: I see my Shaw recording (Telarc) also seems to be the 1893 version. The notes to that recording seem to indicate that the published 1901 version was approved by Faure but re-orchestrated by someone else, no score of the 1893 edition exists, but it was reconstructed in 1984 by John Rutter. So any recording prior to 1984 is presumably the big orchestra 1901 version.

[Mirror Image]

Herreweghe's second recording of Requiem (1901 version) is a dud in my opinion. I was shocked when I heard it the first time a few years ago. I listened to it again yesterday and still dislike it. It seem the large orchestra destroys this work completely. My other version of Requiem is Jeremy Summerly on Naxos which is far superior imo.

Herreweghe's first recording is his best one, IMHO. I can't imagine that Naxos recording being too good.

[Mirror Image]

Well I completely love the Domus/Florestan recordings on Hyperion, so... *shrug*

Yeah, I've heard those Hyperion recordings several times, but I wonder if my impressions of them would be more favorable now that Faure has clicked with me? I also own these Harmonia Mundi recordings featuring Faure's chamber music:



The best I can remember, these recordings were quite good. I should revisit them as well.

[Florestan]

The Kathryn Stott set is the first Faure I've ever heard and it blew me away instantly. FWIW, here are my reviews.

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,9.msg19995.html#msg19995

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,9.msg21793.html#msg21793

[71 dB]

I was thinking of listening to my Herreweghe recording, which seems to be an 1893 version. Sounds like you would prefer that one. I also have recordings of it in various big boxes (Ansermet, Cluytens) which I assume would use the bigger orchestra by default.

Note added: I see my Shaw recording (Telarc) also seems to be the 1893 version. The notes to that recording seem to indicate that the published 1901 version was approved by Faure but re-orchestrated by someone else, no score of the 1893 edition exists, but it was reconstructed in 1984 by John Rutter. So any recording prior to 1984 is presumably the big orchestra 1901 version.

I had forgotten the Faure Requiem versions thing and before the Herreweghe 2nd I did not even care. The Naxos version was prepared by Denis Arnold in 1983. It uses the original instrumentation whilst including all 7 movements (the early versions did not include Offertoire and Libera me). Faure deliberable wanted light orchestration for this work as an reaction ot Berlioz's massive Requiem. I bought the Herreweghe 2nd to have the large orchestra version thinking Herreweghe is a quarantee of quality.

[71 dB]

I think this is excellent.

[Biffo]

I had forgotten the Faure Requiem versions thing and before the Herreweghe 2nd I did not even care. The Naxos version was prepared by Denis Arnold in 1983. It uses the original instrumentation whilst including all 7 movements (the early versions did not include Offertoire and Libera me). Faure deliberable wanted light orchestration for this work as an reaction ot Berlioz's massive Requiem. I bought the Herreweghe 2nd to have the large orchestra version thinking Herreweghe is a quarantee of quality.

Faure assembled his Requiem over a number of years and my understanding was that it was a reaction against the trivial music that was usually played in La Madeleine where he was organist. The small orchestra was a reflection of the modest resources available. The full orchestral version was written some time later at the request of his publisher.