Pierre Fouchenneret, Simon Zaoui, Raphael Merlin & David Lefort – Gabriel Faure: Horizons (2018) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Designed as an immersion in Gabriel Fauré’s chamber music, the double album recorded by the pianist Simon Zaoui with Pierre Fouchenneret on the violin, Raphaël Merlin on the cello and the tenor David Lefort, unlocks the secrets of Fauré’s late style. In spite of their quasi hermetic density, the French composer’s scores still retain the charm of his youthful works where his melodic genius was more direct.

If Fauré knew the German composers, his expression is of a different sort. No extravagant effusion in his music but an intimate emotion that is perfectly restored here. Around the pianist Simon Zaoui, who subtly underlines the serious gravity of the last three Nocturnes, the musicians perform Fauré’s sonatas, trios and the autumnal melodies of L’Horizon chimérique.”

Tracklist:
Gabriel Fauré (1845 – 1924)
01. Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 120: I. Allegro, ma non troppo
02. Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 120: II. Andantino
03. Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 120: III. Finale. Allegro vivo
04. Andante for Violin and Piano in B-Flat, Op. 75
05. Nocturne in E Minor No. 12, Op. 107
06. Papillon for Cello and Piano in A Major, Op. 77
07. Violin Sonata in A Major No. 1, Op. 13: I. Allegro molto
08. Violin Sonata in A Major No. 1, Op. 13: II. Andante
09. Violin Sonata in A Major No. 1, Op. 13: III. Scherzo. Allegro vivo
10. Violin Sonata in A Major No. 1, Op. 13: IV. Finale. Allegro quasi presto
11. Nocturne No. 11 in F-Sharp, Op. 104
12. Cello Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 117: I. Allegro
13. Cello Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 117: II. Andante
14. Cello Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 117: III. Finale. Allegro vivo
15. L’Horizon chimérique, Op. 118: I. “La mer est infinie”
16. L’Horizon chimérique, Op. 118: II. “Je me suis embarqué”
17. L’Horizon chimérique, Op. 118: III. “Diane, Séléné”
18. L’Horizon chimérique, Op. 118: IV. “Vaisseaux, nous vous aurons aimés”
19. Romance for Cello and Piano in A Major, Op. 69
20. Berceuse for Violin and Piano in D Major, Op. 16
21. Cello Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 109: I. Allegro
22. Cello Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 109: II. Andante
23. Cello Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 109: III. Finale. Allegro commodo
24. Romance for Violin and Piano in B-Flat Major, Op. 28
25. Nocturne No. 13 in B Minor, Op. 119
26. Violin Sonata No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 108: I. Allegro non troppo
27. Violin Sonata No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 108: II. Andante
28. Violin Sonata No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 108: III. Finale. Allegro non troppo