Essential Fauré
For a long time Gabriel Fauré (1843-1924) was an outsider, a figure almost forgotten. But now he counts as one of the great rediscovered composers, his reputation slowly blossoming over the last decade as he has grown out of the shadow of his much more popular compatriots, Debussy and Ravel. That his name never completely disappeared from the concert hall or recordings is largely thanks to his tender Requiem, which has been one of his best-known works ever since its premiere in 1888; many of Fauré's piano and orchestral works, by contrast, had to wait much longer for their renaissance.
Read more…Of his two operas 'Pénélope' is the most famous, premiered in 1913 in Monte Carlo. It is a piece that combines the influences of Richard Wagner with symbolism – a magical world of sound, which in some places connects to Debussy's 'Pelléas et Mélisande'. Fauré's stylistic evolution can be understood by listening to his rich chamber music on the one hand. But it perhaps best understood through his his piano works, especially the Nocturnes and Barcarolles, the later examples of which grow increasingly dense in texture, employing a polyphony that seems stricter, more uncompromising. These works, in general, are not music for large concert halls, but rather for smaller rooms, for the the salon. But even the the rediscovered Fauré still offers much to discover in its richness and subtlety – it's worth it!