ellis@flairvax.UUCP (Michael Ellis) (12/13/83)
Can anyone recommend recordings of several works by this somewhat neglected
composer, namely:
1. Nocturnes (for piano)
2. Both Piano Quintets
3. String Quartet
For those who aren't familiar with Faure, this French composer wrote mostly
delicate (but often intense) chamber music towards the end of the 19th
century. No symphonies, piano concerti... or anything even close to a crowd
pleaser. At a time when bombast and overblown romanticism was at its
height, his quiet, introverted music eloquently reaffirmed principles of
balanced understatement, and served as a basis from which Debussy was able
to form Impressionism. Sorta like Throbbing Gristle...
I've never heard the nocturnes, but have been told that they should appeal
to anyone burnt out on too much Debussy/Ravel piano music; the quartet and
one of the piano quintets were written when Faure was very old, blind, and
deaf, and have an otherworldly quality similar in ways to the late Beethoven
quartets.
-michaelcbf@allegra.UUCP (12/14/83)
Wow! An actual Faure fan! I must confess, as a die-hard francophile, to like almost all French music (except Berlioz of course). However that's not a prerequisite for appreciating Gabriel Faure. As for the pieces mentioned, I'm only familiar with the 13 Nocturnes. The recording I own is Jean-Phillipe Collard's on EMI (got it at Tower as an import). I'm not familiar with any other performance of them (my Penguin lists a few ancient names), but I can't imagine this being surpassed. I usually don't like Collard -- there's some saying about the paradox that the best advocates of French music are usually not French -- his style is often too rigid, and devoid of charm and elegance, although his technique is never in doubt, but here I think he has the right touch. If anything, I think his style might fuel the usual attacks against Faure's "all-charm-and-no-substance". True, he could have sought out a little more depth in the later pieces, but that's a very minor reservation about a fine record. Penguin doesn't think the recorded sound (from 1974) is up to snuff, but it hasn't bothered me. A more recent Faure release, again on French EMI (also on Angel) and again featuring Collard, is a generous selection (~20) of his songs, mostly from two publications, an early and a later one. This time, Collard is accompanying Frederica von Stade, in a beautifully sung performance. Stereo Review, speaking of this record as one of their "Best of the Month", voiced some complaints about Collard's lack of flexibility. True, his grip is a little too tight at times, especially in the earlier songs, but von Stade's radiant mezzo conquers all. One of my records of the year. "Au bord de l'eau" would be the hit single here, but there are greater songs on this record. Until someone (maybe Jessye Norman, drool, drool) decides to record them all, this will be keep me pacified and happy. Anyone new to Faure's music should probably start with his Requiem and his two violin sonatas. The Requiem is at the diametrically opposed extreme from Verdi's earthsaking cries of "Libera me". It is a very intimate work, almost chamber-scaled, and is in its own way just as intense. I've been very happy with my Colin Davis recording on CBS. The CBS sound is for once acceptable, even excellent, the Philarmonia's playing is perfect in scale, and the Ambrosian Singers' "Agnus Dei" is intensely moving. I must admit to preferring Franck's violin sonata to either of the Faure or the Debussy, but they are all great examples of the French's unique touch in that form. I have Arthur Grumiaux doing the two Faure on Philips, and there are absolutely no reservations here. -- "Yes, but is it art?" Charles B. Francois (decvax!allegra!cbf)
tynor@uiucuxc.UUCP (12/16/83)
#R:flairvax:-29300:uiucuxc:30800003:000:153
uiucuxc!tynor Dec 15 20:57:00 1983
I'm a great fan of the Requiem and Pavane, but haven't delved into anything
else....
Sounds good,
Steve