Fauré piano music?

[aaron_banks]

I am looking for advice on best recordings on Fauré's piano music. Not many complete boxes out there, Collard and Stott... Happy for tips.

[anacrusis]

If you have been struggling to find something good, I feel your pain. Having played his piano quartet i C minor I found his music to be amazing, but if I had just listened to the piano recordings I have tried so far, I wouldn't have known. I think it's difficult to find a pianist who really "gets" Fauré and makes something magical out of it. Do you have any tips on recordings that so far have been to your taste?

[nw746]

I am looking for advice on best recordings on Fauré's piano music. Not many complete boxes out there, Collard and Stott... Happy for tips.

Germaine Thyssens-Valentin is the usual recommendation (a student of Fauré himself) and is always worth hearing, but the sound quality is obviously quite historical. (Look for the Testament issues.)

I also like Jean-Michel Damase quite a lot personally (he recorded only the Barcarolles, Nocturnes and Valse-Caprices, as far as I know).

Otherwise I generally look for individual recordings. For example, in the Barcarolles (like the one I've been using as an exemplar here) I like Michael Endres and Éric Heidsieck.

In the Nocturnes the recent Éric le Sage recording is very high quality; in the Impromptus it's hard to beat Alexander Lonquich, etc. And a number of pianists have recorded mixed recitals of great value, notably Esteban Sánchez and Michel Dalberto.

I don't personally have a problem with Collard or Stott (or the other integrals that are readily available) but I don't find them as distinctive or successful at capturing Fauré's particular vision.

[diomedes]

Faure is the hidden glory of piano repertoire, I've warmed up to Stott with time actually. After constant listening, I find Naoumoff very generous in the nocturnes, please give that a try, his tempos are slower which I prefer, I personally can't stand the hurried tempos of eric la sage.
Delphine Barin does good barcarolles, maybe not the best at times but I return to it. Lortie has put great effort into recordings as well which I'm often happy with.

As I understand it faster and detached playing is stylistically more appropriate for Faure but I feel that way occasionally with his music not always.

That's my experience, being a pianist that has played quite some Faure in the past year, I'm always eager to learn more. Hope it helps. A couple names listed above might point me in new directions, glad to see them as they are new to me. Also try Pennetier, his fairly recent recording is in the 4 disc album range which is just about complete, I refer to it occasionally.

[leethoven]

Marguerite Long was the best Faure interpreter. She was Faure's close friend and pupil, and some of his works was dedicated to her. Long spend most of her life spreading Faure's music and wrote a book about him. She plays his pieces with nuance, delicacy, and understanding.
Hope this helps!
                                                                                              ~leethoven

[visitor]

Richard Shuster's nocturnes album is a must.  I know him personally and had a few artist lessons/consults in his studio in the past as well, amazing artist and super cool guy
https://robhaskins.net/2014/12/21/cd-review-gabriel-faure-the-complete-nocturnes-richard-shuster-piano-fleur-de-son-classics-58023-2014-75-minutes/

I think one can get the yt algorithm to hit selected ones on the tube

[anacrusis]

I quite enjoye the recordings by Marguerite Long, suggested by leethoven. Thanks for that suggestion! But then I am a sucker for crackly old recordings, the pianists of that era had something many modern players seem to miss, I think

[jcazador]

Marguerite Long of course

Jean Doyen, Faure Complete Piano Works

Jean-Phillipe COllard, 13 Noturnes

Louis Lorte, A Faure Recital

[jcazador]

ftm my favorite:

Angela Hewitt, Faure, Piano Music (2013)

Angela Hewitt, French Piano Music (includes Debussy as well as Faure)

[lelle]

I quite enjoyed the following recording of the Nocturnes that I stumbled upon yesterday:

The pianist plays beautifully and makes it easy to understand. Does anyone know if she is a well-renowned Fauré pianist or not?