Fauré's only opera, Pénélope, based on Homer's Odyssey, premiered in 1913 but was overshadowed by the overwhelming reception of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring.
Instruments
Cellist Martin Johnson plays a cello by Thomas Kennedy of London, made around 1810, and a bow by legendary archetier Eugène Sartory, made for the 1908 Expo.
Performer Biography
Pierre Fouchenneret, the French violinist on this album, is an artistic director of Orchestre Ostinato, which supports young talent from conservatoires through professional integration.
Composer Biography
Gabriel Fauré, a French composer, was born in the small town of Pamiers and moved to Paris as a child to study at the École Niedermeyer, an institution focused on training organists and choirmasters.
Composition History
Many of the orchestral works by Gabriel Fauré featured on this album were orchestrated by others due to his many demands as a teacher and performer.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Fauré's musical output, which focused largely on solo piano pieces, songs, and chamber music, went against the contemporary French musical scene where opera success was the primary goal for most composers.
Composer Biography
Fauré was a founding member of the Société nationale de musique, a concert organization that promoted contemporary French instrumental music, which was then marginal to Parisian musical life.
