Fauré: Chamber Music

Whether early or late, Gabriel Fauré's chamber works are fairly consistent in technique, expression, and originality, and their high quality places them among the finest sonatas, quartets, and quintets of late Romanticism. Yet one should not expect consistency in this five-disc compilation from Brilliant Classics, for the renditions and recordings vary considerably in interpretation and reproduction, and the set's unevenness weighs against its advantages of convenience and price. There are great differences between the ... Read More

Whether early or late, Gabriel Fauré's chamber works are fairly consistent in technique, expression, and originality, and their high quality places them among the finest sonatas, quartets, and quintets of late Romanticism. Yet one should not expect consistency in this five-disc compilation from Brilliant Classics, for the renditions and recordings vary considerably in interpretation and reproduction, and the set's unevenness weighs against its advantages of convenience and price. There are great differences between the saccharine, effusive performances of the Quintetto Fauré di Roma and the restrained, subtle readings of the Ames Piano Quartet, who adequately convey Fauré's sweetness and passion without the former ensemble's excessive vibrato or gushing crescendi. Soprano Sarah Walker and the Nash Ensemble are quite enjoyable in La Bonne Chanson, though they seem diminished somewhat in the ADD mix and lack presence. There are some high points in the Amati Quartet's rich performance of the String... Read Less