La Tribune 26.05.2024 - Fauré: Nocturnes

[Pulcinella]

Here's a link to the Presto listing of recordings of the full set:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/70382--faure-nocturnes-nos-1-13/browse

[Pulcinella]

Roger tells me:

there's a big strike affecting all the publicly funded media outputs this weekend....several concerts that I planned to listen to have been cancelled, and I fear Sunday's La Tribune may also be a victim.

So maybe we have to choose our own winner (or wait in case the programme is rescheduled).

[Roger Webb]

Roger tells me:



So maybe we have to choose our own winner (or wait in case the programme is rescheduled).

Just in case, my choices would be Jean-Philippe Collard (EMI) bought in a little shop in Rue Mouf. in Paris. And the set of the complete Fauré I take on holiday, Kathryn Stott on Hyperion.

[Quarky]

Looks like there is going to be a repeat of an earlier episode.....

[antongould]

Germaine Thyssens-Valentin IMVVHO

[MickyD]

Radio France is frequently on strike. The good thing is that there is more music and much less bla bla on it on those days!

[Roger Webb]

A repeat from 2022

https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/la-tribune-des-critiques-de-disques/le-tombeau-de-couperin-de-ravel-piano-4772928

I keep the winner 'saved' on Qobuz, but my CD complete Ravel is now Angela Hewitt on Hyperion.

[Mandryka]

Re the Fauré, I'd be interested to know what people make of the new one from Lucas Debargue. I can't get past the piano sound, which I dislike - seems hard in the higher notes.

There are lots of recordings now. At the moment I'm enjoying Naoumoff most, it's too dreamy really, but I like to dream.

I have decided that I prefer Fauré's nocturnes to Chopin's.

[Roger Webb]

Re the Fauré, I'd be interested to know what people make of the new one from Lucas Debargue. I can't get past the piano sound, which I dislike - seems hard in the higher notes.

There are lots of recordings now. At the moment I'm enjoying Naoumoff most, it's too dreamy really, but I like to dream.

I have decided that I prefer Fauré's nocturnes to Chopin's.

That piano is something of an experimental instrument, a Stephen Paulello Opus 102... in fact it is the very one installed in the Philharmonie in Paris - it's there if visiting pianists want to try it. It has a keyboard compass of 102 notes (hence Opus 102 - nothing to do with Late Beethoven cello sonatas! *)...and has insistent brightness to the sound **

More to the point is the way the complete piano works are presented in this package, by Opus number ie more or less chronologically.

I've now saved it on Qobuz, and will start playing chronologically, having only dipped in so far.

* Or Fauré's 5th Impromptu, come to that!

** Listening again the top end has some strange harmonics which seem to be added to the sound - the more you listen the more annoying it becomes....I think it is exacerbated by the quite close miking which reveals a 'ringing' that, perhaps, wouldn't be noticeable in the Philharmonie live.

[Mandryka]

That piano is something of an experimental instrument, a Stephen Paulello Opus 102... in fact it is the very one installed in the Philharmonie in Paris - it's there if visiting pianists want to try it. It has a keyboard compass of 102 notes (hence Opus 102 - nothing to do with Late Beethoven cello sonatas! *)...and has insistent brightness to the sound.

More to the point is the way the complete piano works are presented in this package, by Opus number ie more or less chronologically.

I've now saved it on Qobuz, and will start playing chronologically, having only dipped in so far.

* Or Fauré's 5th Impromptu, come to that!

The booklet essay by Debargue put me on to Nectoux's book. I also tried, on Debargue's recommendation, Jankélévitch's book, but I returned it to amazon.

By the way, I have a copy of Stephen Walsh's book on Debussy now -- looks very good, so thanks for mentioning.

[Roger Webb]

The booklet essay by Debargue put me on to Nectoux's book. I also tried, on Debargue's recommendation, Jankélévitch's book, but I returned it to amazon.

By the way, I have a copy of Stephen Walsh's book on Debussy now -- looks very good, so thanks for mentioning.

Yes, the Walsh is one of the best 'general' Debussy biogs since Lockspeiser, I think. Stephen lives nearby and did a lecture and Q and A in our local bookshop in Monmouth when this was published which was very interesting. During 2018 I managed to get over to St Germain-en-Laye for the series of events to commemorate Debussy's death and attend the exhibition 'Sous l'ombre des vagues' and a couple of chamber concerts they put on there. I don't know whether you've been to the birthplace museum, but it's well worth the trip out from Paris if you haven't.

[Mandryka]

Yes, a good friend of mine lives in St Germain-en-Laye.

The Lockspeiser is still in print in French, by the way -- with some sort of contribution from Harry Halbreich.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/2213024189?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

[Roger Webb]

Re the Fauré, I'd be interested to know what people make of the new one from Lucas Debargue.

Might be interesting to tune into France Musique tonight at 7.00 (UK time) for the live concert from the auditorium of Radio France when there's a Fauré concert for his centenary - the first in a series, I believe - with Lucas Debargue playing the Ballade for Piano and Orch. and the Fantasy for Piano and Orch. I wonder if he'll be using the Opus 102, which was not much liked - although that's kept at the Philharmonie across town, or the Steinway normally used at Passy.

https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/le-concert-du-soir/anniversaire-faure-1-une-ballade-avec-l-onf-lucas-debargue-aurelienne-brauner-marzena-diakun-2915558

Edit: In fact Debargue will be using the Opus 102. If you go into the above and scroll down there is a link to a presentation by him about this subject on YouTube.

[Roger Webb]

Re the Fauré, I'd be interested to know what people make of the new one from Lucas Debargue. I can't get past the piano sound, which I dislike - seems hard in the higher not

.

Don't know if you listened to tonight's broadcast (above), but, if anything the piano sounded worse than on the Nocturnes recording - not helped by the France Musique engineering (manipulated dynamic range...as usual!). The hammers hit the strings with a hard metallic sound, like a giant dulcimer or cimbalom, especially in the encore, a transcription for piano of 'Aprés un réve' nice programme of Fauré though otherwise, and more to come.

[Mandryka]

Don't know if you listened to tonight's broadcast (above), but, if anything the piano sounded worse than on the Nocturnes recording - not helped by the France Musique engineering (manipulated dynamic range...as usual!). The hammers hit the strings with a hard metallic sound, like a giant dulcimer or cimbalom, especially in the encore, a transcription for piano of 'Aprés un réve' nice programme of Fauré though otherwise, and more to come.

I missed it unfortunately.