The Most Important Recording Projects Ever (No. 20: Fauré's Chamber Works with Piano)

[@davidaiken1061]

An unexpected choice but both in terms of music and performance eminently justified. I fell in love with Fauré's chamber music in the 1980's with the soundtrack to the French film, "Sunday Afternoon in the Country." That love has never faded, though my positive regard for EMI's Fauré chamber music series has in the wake of this recent production from Alpha, which clearly "sweeps the board," as the saying goes. Only Grumiaux's traversal of the two Violin Sonatas with Crossly surpasses the ones in this set. This is a set to cherish.

[@timyork6150]

Congratulations on including Fauré in your series about Most Important Recording Projects Ever. His music is underrated, even in relation to his more glamorous French near contemporaries like Debussy and Ravel. It is essentially intimate and subtle and can easily pass by unnoticed. His piano music and songs also contain many beauties. Checking my shelves, I find that I have most of the contents of that box in other versions (the violin sonatas are a gap) and will now go back to listen to them more often.

[@matthewrippingsby5384]

I bought a disc of Isserlis on cello and some equally-renowned pianist, of, mostly, Faure's chamber music. I was immediately, and gradually, overwhelmed. Outstanding. Everybody knows the Pavane. To hear he's in the top three is superb, and a nice fillip for my doggedly-untutored ear.

[@Mezzotenor]

Oh, I concur...! This set is one of my favorite boxed-set purchases.

[@chrisalluna6733]

Thank you so much!! I have the Florestan's Trio Hyperion collection (Domus Quartet, same personnel). I was actually introduced to Faure by a classical (2) guitar transcription of the Sicilienne from Palleas et Melisande. Went Faure crazy for about a year!

[@michelangelomulieri5134]

Some years ago I bought the Faure complete edition for Brilliant and I now realize how right you are in putting this French composer among the best chamber music composers. I find a great resemblance with Dvorak in so far as passion, fire and love for folk/popular tunes are a real trademark of their chamber music.

[@marlenemeldrum7382]

Faures Requiem is something one should not miss....just grand...a great Fan and I just adore his Music especially his chamber works..Many many thanks!!

[@jackdolphy8965]

Bullseye Dave! Thank you. I can barely wait to hear this.

[@emtube9298]

I would add Rheinbergerr to the great 19th C chamber music composers. Only organists seem to know about Rheinberger, but everyone I have introduced his chamber music to has enjoyed it. Thorofon released his complete chamber music without organ in a 6-disc box set.

[@kylejohnson8877]

Rheinberger’s Piano Quartet in E-flat is one my very favorite chamber works. It’s full of glorious, immediately memorable tunes!

[@steveschwartz8944]

Aaron Copland loved Faure's music. He has a wonderful essay in which he tries to describe the composer's musical effect. I think the occasion of the piece was a (extremely RARE) performance of Faure's only opera, Penelope. I think at least as much of Faure as Dave does, but I've to this day never heard that opera.

[@bbailey7818]

Like Schubert, Faure's songs and chamber music are much better than his opera.

[@steveschwartz8944]

@@bbailey7818 Where or how did you hear it? I've been trying to find a recording or a KZbin video or whatever for years. The only thing I've managed to get hold of was the Prelude.

[@alanmillsaps2810]

Erato made an excellent studio recording of Penelope in 1980 with Jessye Norman, Alain Vanzo and Charles Dutoit conducting the Monte Carlo forces. It was released in a 3 LP set but I don't recall if it ever came out on CD (probably). Good luck trying to find it today.

[@steveschwartz8944]

Thank you so much. I found it on Spotify.

[@leestamm3187]

I associate Faure's name with beautiful music, for whatever instrument or ensemble he composed. Sounds like a wonderful collection.

[@johnmontanari6857]

A great set indeed. One of my dream chamber programs would be the G Minor Piano Quartets of Mozart, Fauré and Brahms. OK, a bit long, but still. I like to leave the patrons of my series with a belly full, so that no one says after the concert, "hey honey, could we stop on the way home to pick up some more music?" Well, this one would sate them for days. Hmmm -- I sense some Fauré chamber stuff in my afternoon listening session...

[@hamidrezahabibi8111]

Eric Le Sage is a magnificent concert pianist. I had his interpretation of Francis Poulenc piano works and it’s a great collection.

[@josecarmona9168]

I'd liike to suggest as one of the best project EVEEEEEER the complete Brahms' chamber music, also with a team including Eric Le Sage. I know there have been another complete sets, but this one is indeed a recording project as such, with some of the same musicians in the Faure set, playing all works live and recording them in different locations. I think they are splendid interpretations and a really great and important project.

[@wilhelmvandervyver642]

Would love Dave's take on this

[@josecarmona9168]

@@wilhelmvandervyver642 so would I, hoping for it!!!

[@fulltongrace7899]

I have a Brilliant Classics collection of Faure’s chamber music, which I have always enjoyed, though not as comprehensive as the one mentioned in Dave’s video.

[@classicalduck]

For me, Fauré's mélodies edge out his chamber music in my esteem. But it's only by a tiny amount, so thank you for this video. I will note that if one still wants the String Quartet, it may be found on an Erato CD (shared with those ubiquitous discmates from the LP era on, the Debussy and Ravel quartets), performed by the Quatuor Ébène.

[@ammcello]

Wow didn’t know about this… they shoulda just included the string quartet to make it complete, since they have the Ebene. Thanks for mentioning Saint-Saëns, who is like completely unknown in terms of chamber music. Only rarely do you hear a sonata or so so rarely the op. 41 piano quartet

[@mhc2231]

Interestingly there is another very recent set with exactly the same works "Complete Chamber Music for Strings and Piano" on Erato. It ALSO has the quatour Eben on it -- but the other players are different and include the Capucon brothers, Michel Dalberto (piano), Nicholas Angelich (piano). I guess there is some renewed interest in Faure chamber works these days!

[@philippecassagne3192]

Another suggestion : Vivaldi opus 1-12 by I Musici (19 CDs set). It seems it meets the two criteria of "Most important recording projects ever" : historical importance and artistic value ? What's your opinion, Dave ? Alternatively (as someone else suggested) : the whole Vivaldi Naive collection. Although of unequal value, it is, as a whole, a remarkable project for the renewal of Vivaldi interpretation, especially regarding his operas.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I don't thing so.

[@HerewardTheW]

Faure's music is wonderful. The only thing to which I can attribute his lack of star popularity is that chamber music in general is widely left on the shelf even by parts of the classical scene, as you have previously discussed. Not sure why, I personally find chamber music *more* accessible than a lot of symphonies. Speaking of symphonies, I hope you get round to Böhm's complete Mozart cycle of the 50s/60s in this series. Yes, Böhm got there first, but like Geza Anda he deserved to be first!

[@UlfilasNZ]

Why is it out of print?? 😢

[@brettfrasier6002]

Unavailable on Amazon