Fauré's later works, including the eleventh nocturne dedicated to Noémi Lalo (wife of critic Pierre Lalo), are marked by his encroaching deafness and loss of hearing.
Critical Reception
Prominent pianists like Horowitz and Rubinstein rarely programmed Fauré's works, leaving them to pianist-composers and artists with broader ambitions.
Compositional Technique
Fauré's piano works, none longer than fifteen minutes, subtly blur genre boundaries, with nocturnes often sounding like barcarolles or impromptus.
Performer Biography
Jean-Claude Pennetier, the pianist on this recording, has had a varied musical career including contemporary music, fortepiano, conducting, and composition.
Composer Biography
Gabriel Fauré, an excellent and ambidextrous pianist, abhorred virtuosity, rubato, and effects designed to impress audiences.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Gabriel Fauré believed that piano music should always be interesting and avoid "padding," considering it perhaps the most difficult genre to master.
Compositional Technique
Vladimir Jankélévitch, a French philosopher and musicologist, noted that Fauré's complex melodic lines sometimes create the illusion of a "third hand" or an inner voice in counterpoint.
