Customer Reviews

Fauré: Complete Nocturnes

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A pupil of Saint Saens and a mentor of Maurice Ravel, Gabriel Faure was a transitional figure in musical history; as Beethoven did with Classical and Romantic music, Faure similarly straddled the Romantic and Impressionistic labels. Claude Debussy and Ravel, the first full-fledged Impressionists, certainly pick up where Faure left off.
In these solo piano pieces, generally from the latter half of Faure's career, both the Romantic inspirations and the Impressionistic harmonies are evident. I am reminded of Brahms in Faure's use of the lower register of the keyboard which gives a more haunting sound, and of Mendelssohn in Faure's beautiful melodies, especially in his earlier Romances sans Paroles, a tribute to Mendelssohn's Songs without Words. But in Faure's nocturnes, influenced by Chopin, there are harmonies unlike any other in the Romantic era; ambiguous, hazy, and very Debussian. His Nocturnes No. 7 and 8 of 1898 are unbelievably radical for 19th century music, by any standard. My favorite Faure nocturne is No. 11, very heartbreaking and beautiful. The reason I like Faure's nocturnes to Chopin's is because they are not as straight forward. With Faure you have to really sit down and take time for repeated listenings to fully appreciate the beauty in Faure's music. Overall, Faure uses a romantic framework to advance his very forward-looking impressionistic style. If you love Faure as I do I highly recommend this cd.

Direct comparison of this recording with that of Germaine Thyssens-Valentin is not unfavourable to this young pianist. He shows laudable restraint where some might exaggerate for effect and although he lacks the timing, subtlty and depth of interpretation of Thyssens-Valentin, (whom I regard as the benchmark in these works), he plays with a winning touch that is both fresh and beautiful. It is a surprisingly mature effort and offers excellent sound quality. I am happy to own this version of the nocturns along with others. I can't believe any lover of Faure would be disappointed.

I've heard many versions of Faure's Nocturnes, some by very talented and reputable classical pianists. But none have succeeded in simultaneously capturing the modal complexity and melodic beauty of these thirteen pieces as well as Jalbert.

The notes for this recording imply that the title nocturnes was more or less imposed by the publisher on these pieces and that Faure did not intend them to be just in the the tradition of Field and Chopin nocturnes but to be wider ranging and more free in interpretation. That seems a good enough judgement as some of them are quite complex and involved but in each there is some ground to stand on and reflect from. David Jalbert's playing seems impeccable and thoughtful. I have never been a great fan of Faure but this recording is one I keep wanting to hear and I suspect most folks will find it as accessible and intriguing as I did.