Customer Reviews

Fauré: Piano Quintets

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Faure is a master of creating cool, delicate, elegant melodies that progress in complex, unexpected, and, often, achingly lovely, ways. "Ravishing" might be nearly the right adjective for these quintets, but that adjective calls a bit too much attention to itself, and Faure's music never does that. These piano quintets, like virtually all of Faure's chamber works, are nothing if not subtle, and, though certainly "French", they don't sound like anything else, before or since.

This interpretation by Domus/Marwood is all that any admirer of this music could hope for. The performers here do a lot more than get the notes right--they seem sensitive to the atmosphere these works can create when played with insight and concentration. The recording itself has to be perfect to capture all the necessary nuances of the music and intricacies of the performance, and it is. The end result is about as beautiful as music can be.

If you admire Faure's Requiem, but are not familiar with his chamber works, well, you have a lot of catching up to do. This CD is a great place to start.

To this day, Gabriel Faure has remained rather an obscure and neglected figure in the ranks of chamber music composers, or at least, it seems that outside France his appeal has been limited to 'connoisseurs only'. It might be overtly optimistic to expect that Faure's status would ever rise to the level of such household names as Beethoven or Brahms (or even Debussy, for that matter); however, what with music as compelling and beautiful as these two Quintets, one should wish his reputation to grow.

This Hyperion issue of Faure's two Piano Quintets, where Domus is joined by Anthony Marwood, presents both the composer and the ensemble at their very best. Even more poignantly than on their excellent account of the Piano Quartets, Domus manage to convey the bitter-sweet, elusive fragrance of the fleeting moment so often expressed by Faure.

Even at their most vivacious and rapturous, both of these Piano Quintets are pervaded by an introspective, melancholy strain that has an unnerving tendency to linger in the listener's memory. These works are melodious but not melodramatic, gently lyrical yet not overtly 'romantic' - and definitely not pessimistic. Despite the aforementioned autumnal undertones, there are moments of almost whimsical passion and mercurial joie-de-vivre here. What more need I say? A little perseverance is needed, perhaps, as Faure's style of writing (especially his 'liquid' piano lines) may at first seem a bit hard to grasp, despite of the fact that these Quintets were not in any explicit way 'modern' or revolutionary at the time when they were composed. However, repeated listening will reveal unexpected glories and nuances below the seemingly traditional fin-de-siecle surface, and as always, perseverance brings the richest rewards.

On the whole, this is a perfect record to add to your Faure collection - even if you have not yet started one, you probably will after hearing these unjustly neglected jewels.

Gabriel Faure's compositions always seem mannered, controlled, remarkably crafted, not a note out of place. These works are, in the words of a previous reviewer, ravishing. And it is not just the music per se, it is the mood, the style, the soul of the man that seems to shine forth.

Saying all that, these are works that improve on second and third listening. The effect is not immediate, say as in Schumann or Brahms. They are quintessentially "French", slightly modernistic, but they glisten and shine like a jewel. The interplay between the piano and the others is like a bubbling fountain, sometimes in sync, sometimes seeming to go in different directions. The interpretation is quite sensitive to the artist and for Faure, this is quite difficult considering its reserved intimacy.

These two quintets are good examples of late Faure -- understated, reserved, beautiful but occasionally mildly dissonant. The piano parts in both are fantastic and in this recording placed somewhat behind the strings. I would recommend this without hesitation to anyone who likes late romantic era chamber music. The recording quality is fine.

Of all the classical discs I own, two always spring to mind as absolute favourites. Seeing as how the other one is only available in a box set, I can emphatically declare this Faure disc to be the greatest single classical CD I know.

This disc has won numerous awards for a very good reason. Not only is the music amongst the most subtle, magical and ultimately satisfying classical music, the performances are of such high quality that it's impossible to imagine the music being played any other way. The blend between piano and strings is judged perfectly throughout, so that there is never any impression of a soloist, just a beautifully blended ensemble.

Buy and enjoy!

It is so very nice to have both the D minor (opus 89) and the C minor (opus 115) piano quintets by Gabriel Faure on the same disc especially as they are performed herein in this recording with the Domus quartet and with Anthony Marwood, on violin. I own many recordings of these lovely French romantic chamber works in separate recordings usually paired with other works; therefore, it is wonderful to have these two great works on the same recording. These quintets are, to me, great masterpieces of Romantic chamber music that I adore. More importantly, the Domus quartet along with Anthony Marwood give the two works splendidly atmospheric performances that, to me, reek of what I like to call the "French Bouquet". In other words, the sound created is very beautiful with not one note sounding "out of place"; to me, it practically shimmers. I'm sure that Hyperion's great recorded sound adds to my enjoyment--it's splendidly recorded with a very "warm" sound. This recording is so very beautiful to listen to; I have derived many hours of pleasure from this recording as you will too if you purchase it.

Faure was a modest man, musician and composer who did not achieve the recognition he probably deserved. As such, he resonated with subtle, nuanced chamber, ecclesiastical and solo piano music more than with the bombastic (Wagnerian) symphonic or operatic displays that were all the rage in late 19th-century Paris. But, we should be quite grateful for this trait - for out of this contemplative, subdued mindset came such wonderous works of rarified beauty as these piano quintets.

The sensitive radiance of these pieces is ideally matched by Susan Tomes, Richard Lester and the rest of this UK quintet. Indeed, for those who collect 19th-century chamber music, this is a special recording of great depth and expressive beauty. Most notable, this group truly brings out the poinant utterances within the slow movements - creating a feeling like time has stilled to only the present. The ethereal atmospheres created by their rich tones and subtle, ever-so-gentle harmonic progressions are true revelations of Faure's music. These are very moving moments in this music - its hard to imagine them played more wonderously than this. Susan Tomes sets ideal tempos and rises and falls in perfect synch with the spirit within each movement to maintain a compelling overall architecture. The instruments all sound rich and full.

Combined with one of Hyperion Records better sound environments, this recording is a real treasure for admirers of the subtle, elegant and refined qualities of Faure's music. No wonder this recording won a coveted Gramophone "Gem" award. Highly Recommended. Compositions - 5 stars; Performance - 5 stars; Sound quality - 4.5 stars.

Fauré's two piano quintets inhabit an altogether different world from his celebrated piano quartets. Although the quartets are also light-textured and reflective rather than fiercely dramatic, with the quintets you enter the strangely wonderful, half-lit, intensely wistful and dreamlike world of late Fauré. The melodies and developments are captivating but teasingly elusive, always taking you in a slightly different direction than you would have thought. These are both subtle but remarkable works not ever sounding quite like anything else.

The first quintet is overall uplifting, although in a gentle, subtle manner, with its soaring (but usually gossamer light) lines, quiet ripples in twilight waters and sunlight hazily shining through droplets in early, chilly mornings after rainy nights. It is a fabulous work, but it is the second quintet that is the indisputable masterpiece here. Autumnal and serene, but never desolate, this is a marvelously imaginative, inventive work. Even the Allegro vivo (following the enchanting, gorgeous opening Allegro moderato), a hurried, ebullient chase, remains reflective and wistful, as if recounting exhilaratingly joyful childhood experiences through the nostalgic, rosy-tinted lenses of old age. The Andante moderato is almost breathtaking in its poignancy and the finale Allegro molto uplifting in a fleet but ethereal manner.

The performances are spectacular. The Domus quartet, here supported by violinist Anthony Marwood, is utterly sensitive to the idiom but handles the technical challenges (which are certainly notable) with complete confidence, though without ever compromising sensitivity or atmosphere. Elegant and graceful, but nimble and always superbly alert to coloristic developments and overarching ideas, they manage the surprising twists and turns with utter conviction. The sound quality, balance and clarity are for all purposes perfect. A stunning release.

It doesn't look like these recordings need any further "5 star" help from me. However, after some 5 or 10 years of mentally taking Domus a bit for granted ("oh yeah, everyone says they're the best"), I sampled these recordings anew and was just blown away by them....there are other reviewers better positioned to explain the technical and structural aspects of Faure's chamber music, and the subtleties of his sense of harmonics, but (as a non-musician) I know when I am responding to a deep sense of emotive power, and these performances have them. For those of you weaned on a few over-played morsels of Faure (i.e., excerpts from his Requiem, or even his Pavane), these quintets are a wonderful introduction to a deeper understanding of his full output. They'll leave you hungry for more.

For those who have that hunger, try also the Domus recordings of his piano quartets. In addition, (in deference to another reviewer) I'd also reiterate that there is a relatively less expensive set of the complete Faure Chamber music available on EMI, ably piloted by Jean-Phillipe Collard (among others). The EMI renditions are also very good, and (at the price) gives you greater quantity with marginal (if any) reduction in quality. I happen to prefer the Domus renditions of the Faure piano quintets and quartets because I feel they better capture the spirit of Faure, but the EMI CDs also are splendid, and will give you hours of rewarding exploration. Bon appetit.

I bought this album not knowing anything at all about Fauré. What drew mw to it is a recording I have of a single Fauré song entitled "O Divine Redeemer" recorded by Kiri Te Kanawa. It turns out that this recording of Fauré's piano quintets is now one of my most frequently listened to pieces of music. I liked it so much that I have since bought a recording of Fauré string quartets. They are equally magnificent.

This CD arrived in a timely manner and was in perfect condition.