Faure, Gabriel (1845 - 1924)

[Bryn]

Tunes that have been re-used and misused could almost provide a thread of its own here: Finlandia; Holst's Jupiter; The Red Flag....

Re The Red Flag, which tune were you thinking of, that originally used, The White Cockade, or that modified from a waltz to a march by Cornelius Cardew in his Red Flag Prelude?

[Serial_Apologist]

Re The Red Flag, which tune were you thinking of, that originally used, The White Cockade, or that modified from a waltz to a march by Cornelius Cardew in his Red Flag Prelude?

You could run them concurrently without it sounding like Charles Ives!

[Mandryka]

Beautifully phrased and lively counterpoint, marred for me by a slightly hard tone. It’s not a question of touch, it’s more a question of recording quality I think.

I didnt know about this release from a pianist who is generally not uninteresting. It’s streaming on Qobuz. I’ve become interesting in Fauré again, especially later piano music, after hearing Albert Ferber’s op 103 preludes.

[smittims]

It's a pity we don't hear more of them on Radio 3. They seem to play just the one Nocturne again and again.

[Mandryka]

I’ll continue to record my reactions on what’s turning out to be a Fauré day (about to be spoiled by a visit to the dentist at 3!)



Listening to the Barcarolles. At the level of sound Hubeau is absolutely fine, and the interpretation feels unforced and wide awake. This is a gorgeous recording of the Barcarolles, without having the feeling of being as boldly imaginative as Damerini’s, which I listened to this morning. Hubeau feels safe. Damerini’s feels like someone with something urgent and exciting to say about the music, Damerini was spoilt by the sound - but, now I’m listing to it again on a more forgiving system, Spendors and not Quad ESL 63s, the sound is less of a problem. Reviewers take note - you need more than one hifi (but you knew that!)

[Mandryka]

Excellent new release of all the male voice song cycles from Stéphane Degout, who's a flexible expressive baritone, and Alain Planès, who can play piano. Bonne Chanson, Jardin Clos, Mirages, Horizon Chimérique.

[LMcD]

If memory serves, Edward Heath was the only presenter of 'Man of Action' to devote a whole programme, broadcast on the 21st and 23rd of April 1973, to one composer (Faure).

[Serial_Apologist]

Pianist Kathryn Stott talking about how Fauré has inspired her in this delightful programme from yesterday:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0024dm4

[Nick Armstrong]

Not to be missed: the recent (indeed, current) Fauré chamber music concerts are all available on the Wigmore Hall’s YouTube channel.

Here’s a link to the first (the subsequent ones should be easy to find):

https://www.youtube.com/live/6hOyzgF8NN8?si=mWKDuAMpKqgkTm49

I’m glad to be listening today, the precise centenary of Fauré’s death

[Nick Armstrong]

Further to my previous, this gave an appropriate smile today:



(- from the @QuireMemes X account)

[Serial_Apologist]

Further to my previous, this gave an appropriate smile today:



(- from the @QuireMemes X account)

I must dig out my "Fauré collection" and go through it chronologically. While Ms Stott in yesterday's abovementioned programme spoke of the composer's singularity, other composers overlapping with him creatively, including our own Frank Bridge and John Ireland, can be found to have strong Faureian characteristics (among other influences) in some of their music: Ireland's Amberley Wild Brooks (1921) most audibly*. She also failed to mention the great Charles Koechlin, one of his most important pupils and orchestrator of much of his orchestral music, possibly including the famous Pélleas et Mélisande suite. Strangely, it may seem, that Fauré influence is less perceptible in his other main pupil Ravel's music, most obviously in the early Pavane pour une enfant défunte, heavily indebted to Fauré's own Pavane.

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu5p3_qv3g0

[gurnemanz]

My most recent, thoroughly recommendable, Fauré acquisition is the Complete Songs from tenor, Cyrille Dubois, accompanied by Tristan Raës, on Aparté - the first time, they have all been recorded by one singer. This might not be an advantage in terms of variety but it is so beautifully done and such an obvious labour of love that it is fully justifiable, especially since I already have the classic Emily Ameling/Gérard Souzay set with Dalton Baldwin on piano. This was a very good value Brilliant Classics reissue of early 70s EMI originals, now seemingly nla but Amazon still have one secondhand.

The songs represent a 60-year traversal of Fauré's life, but where Ameling/Souzay is chronological, Dubois gives us three discs, each a thoughtfully planned recital, combining songs from different creative periods.

[smittims]

I used to have the LP box of the French EMI set ('Voix de son Maitre') with a luxurious book of essays and of course the complete words. The Brilliant Classics 4-CD set does, to its credit , have all the French words, but no translations.

[Barbirollians]

Missed the centenary but am now playing the classic Domus recording of the Piano Quartets.