VIDEO: G. Fauré - Nocturne no. 13 in b minor

[mike_lang]

Recorded in Ford-Crawford Hall, Indiana University.  11/28/09

[pianowolfi]

Very beautiful playing! I got immediately lost in listening Actually the more I listen to Fauré the more I am enthousiastic about his music.

[furtwaengler]

Great to hear my favorite Fauré piano piece (indeed one of my favorite pieces!). This is a nice clean recording with precise attention to detail (noting the rests in the accompanying left hand figure of the second theme). May I compliment you on your fabulous pedaling as well (good sostenuto catching of those chords on the scales)! The scales were excellent, of course...it was you who started a thread on this point a while ago? I remember Walter Ramsey's detailed comments there. Congratulations!

Your concept of the piece is quite different from mine, but I tremendously enjoy this appropriate view. It's very French. If there was one thing I would change, it would be the difficult to bring off motiv (theme?) which is set between the two hands starting measure 100 with the right hand E-sharp, D-sharp, E-sharp, C-sharp...continuing in the left hand, A-sharp, G-double sharp, A-sharp...and then repeating up a third and then up a third again before the arrival of in F minor. It could be a difference in how we view the score, but I've always thought those accented left hand notes to be a continuation of the right hand theme, and have wanted a smooth legato connection between the hands. Then the accompanying left hand notes in those measures, those without the accents, ought to be toned down as they are in the figures the measures before. This is how I view this spot. This performance does not hold the same connection between the hands, but has the left hand figures leading into the left hand accents. We could be differing in opinion...but I think this is something to consider. It would go well with your choice of sometimes highlighting the lower note of octave themes, bringing that lovely mezzo effect.

Ah well. Bravo! Excellent work! Thanks for posting this great piece!  

[rachfan]

Hi Michael,

I believe that Faure's late-romantic nocturnes are in a distinguished class by themselves.  The Nocturne No. 13 was the last composition for piano that Faure ever wrote.  It's an intensely dark and pensive piece.  I've not played this nocturne (only Nos. 4 and 6), so cannot critique it first hand.  Instead, I simply enjoyed listening to your fine playing.  In so doing, I appreciated your interpretation, musicianship and artistry.  This is a wonderful video/recording.  Congratulations on this very engaging and absorbing performance!

David