Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Choral and Orchestral Pieces.
Pavane for orchestra and choir in F sharp minor, Op. 50,
(1891) [6.44]
Elégie for cello and orchestra in C minor, Op. 24,
(1883) [7.23]
Super flumina Babylonis (Psalm), for choir and orchestra.
(1863) [11.00]
Cantique de Jean Racine, for choir and orchestra in D flat
major, Op. 11, (1865) [6.08]
Requiem for soprano and baritone, choir, organ and orchestra
in D minor, Op. 48. (1888-1900) [37.31]
Chen Reiss (soprano); Matthias Goerne (baritone); Éric Picard
(cello); Philippe Aïche (violin solo)
Choir of the Orchestre de Paris/Stephen Betteridge; Orchestre de
Paris/Paavo Järvi
rec. live, Salle Pleyel, Paris, February 2011
Picture format: 1080i 16:9
Sound formats: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1
Region code, all (worldwide)
Subtitles: Latin, German, English, French
Booklet notes: English, German, French
EUROARTS BLU-RAY DISC 2058874 [72:00 + 15:00 bonus]
Born in Pamiers, France, in May 1845, Gabriel Fauré was
encouraged by his family in his early musical ambitions. He shared this with
Paavo Järvi the idiomatic conductor of these performances. Fauré
trained at the École Niedermeyer, Paris, coming under the influence
of Camille Saint-Saens. After completing his studies he became organist at
St. Saveur in Rennes and there found time for composition. In 1871 he
returned to Paris as assistant at St. Sulpice and later moved to the larger
and more prestigious Madeleine. Composing and teaching supplemented his
income and in 1882 he was employed as a teacher of composition at the
Conservatoire where his pupils were to include Ravel, Enescu and Nadia
Boulanger. He was appointed Director in 1905 and remained in that position
until 1920, his administrative duties severely restricting his compositional
creativity.
Undoubtedly a Romantic and with an enthusiasm for Wagner and Liszt,
Saint-Saens was Fauré’s prime influence. He attempted some
large-scale compositions. He became more self-critical and later restricted
himself to smaller forms in which he excelled particularly when allied to
his gift for melody. The opening Pavane (CH.2) was originally for
orchestra with the choral parts added later. Like the Elégie
(CH.3) it was very much a product of his early compositional period. Its
gentle melody moves between lower strings to violins with wind following the
haunting theme. The conclusion has full orchestra with the chorus soaring
and then concluding sotto voce. It perfectly illustrates the
composer’s idiom and style. In this performance of the Elegie
the cellist Eric Picard plays the delicate phrases to near perfection.
The seemingly unknown piece here, Super flumina Babylonis,
(CH.4)is an early work. In the bonus interview conductor Paavo
Järvi claims it as a world premier recording. I am not wholly sure if
he means on DVD or more generally. It is certainly a rarity whose structure
foretells much of the direction the composer’s music for choir and
orchestra would take. Järvi certainly gives the music full value with
members of the Choir of the Orchestre de Paris filling in some solo lines.
The main focus of the concert is the Requiem (CHs.9-16).
Detesting Berlioz’s super grandiose Grande Messe des Morts,
Fauré’s creation is elegiac in the extreme. He began the work
in 1877 and the first performance was as a liturgical piece in 1883 at the
Madeleine. At that stage there were only five movements. The two involving
the baritone soloist, the Offertoire (CH.7) and Libera me,
(CH.11) were added later. The orchestrated version dates from 1900.
In this performance of the Requiem the chorus really come
into their own under Järvi. Good as they have been earlier, here they
excel. Baritone Matthias Goerne sings with beautiful even tone and phrases
with a delicacy that complements the music to perfection. The Pie
Jesu (CH.9) is sung with excellent purity of tone by the soprano Chen
Reiss. She nearly obliterates from my mind’s ear the treble voice of
Jonathan Bond in that memorable recording by the Academy of St Martins under
George Guest (Decca).
Robert J Farr
A concert of Fauré’s elegiac music, full of melody and choral peaks. It can be enjoyed to the full in this visual performance.