Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Piano Quartet No. 2 in G minor, Op. 45 [31:59]
Notre amour, Op. 23, No. 2 [1:36]
Les berceaux, Op. 23, No. 1 [2:36]
Après un rêve, Op. 7, No. 1. [2:52]
Clair de lune, Op. 46, No. 2 [2:37]
Mandoline, Op. 58, No. 1 (arr. for piano quartet by Dietrich Zöllner) [1:45]
Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor Op. 15 [29:25]
Fauré Quartett (Erika Geldsetzer (violin), Sascha Frömbling (viola), Konstantin Heidrich (cello), Dirk Mommertz (piano))
rec. May 2020
BERLIN CLASSICS 0301422BC [72:57]
The piano quartets of Gabriel Fauré have been well served by the record companies over the years and many fine recordings are available, so this new recording is entering a crowded field. However, it has the unique selling point of including five of Fauré’s songs arranged by Dietrich Zöllner for piano quartet, which makes an attractive and interesting bonus to accompany the two quartets in addition to being a worthy celebration of the Fauré Quartett’s twenty-fifth anniversary.
The disc opens with the G minor Piano Quartet, a darker, more complex work than No. 1. It is one of Fauré’s finest chamber works; its exact date of composition is unknown but it was probably sometime during the years 1885 and 1886, as we know it was first performed in 1887, some seven years after the premiere of the First Piano Quartet. This quartet makes a bolder, more sweeping statement than the first; the musicologist Robert Orledge states in his biography of Fauré that it "marks a significant advance on the First Quartet in the force of its expression, the greater rhythmic drive and complexity of its themes, and its deliberately unified conception". It is clear to see, therefore, why the Fauré Quartett places it first on this disc. It has two contrasting central movements: the agitated almost violent C minor scherzo with its syncopated piano theme, followed by a serene, lilting, Adagio third movement.
The five song transcriptions are superb and together make a delightful eleven and a half minutes. Dietrich Zöllner faithfully and sensitively adheres to the melodic line, with the result that they are still recognisable representations of the originals. The piano holds the line while the strings weave the melody underneath to great effect - lovely. Fauré’s songs are often overlooked but they are wonderfully lyrical, so these arrangements by Zöllner are most welcome, as they marry my two favourite aspects of the composer’s oeuvre: chamber music and song. This is especially true of the final two songs arranged here, the beautiful Clair de lune and Mandoline, with its plucked string accompaniment.
It could be argued that, unlike the more assured, mature style of the G minor Quartet, the Piano Quartet No. 1 is a backward-looking composition, the influence of Brahms and even Mendelssohn being in evidence, especially in the way that, despite being in a minor key and having been composed shortly after Fauré’s engagement to Marianne had been broken off, it is still mainly positive in tone. Again, this work hangs upon the two central movements with their contrasting sentiments: the Scherzo. Allegro vivo – Trio is set against the glorious Adagio, which is often considered to be one of Fauré’s finest slow movements. As with No. 2, this contrast is something the Fauré Quartett does really well, but it is the final Allegro molto which makes this one of my favourites of Fauré works.
The Fauré Quartett offers a very committed and inciteful recording of both piano quartets and the difference of style between them comes across very clearly. Tempos are comparable with those of the Domus for Hyperion (CDA30007, and marginally quicker than Jean-Phillipe Collard and friends for EMI (CZS 5 69264 2), a recording I have a soft spot for. The recorded sound is excellent and well balanced, giving the music a natural feeling and the booklet is informative. While not, perhaps, knocking the Domus off their perch, this is up there with the best, and the added bonus of the five songs in transcription might well sway someone’s purchasing decision.
Stuart Sillitoe
