Faure: Cello Sonatas; Élégie, Berceuse, Op. 16; Romance, Op. 69 etc
Xavier Phillips (cello), Cédric Tiberghien (piano)
La Dolce Volta LDV102 61:50 mins
As a lead-in to the centenary of Fauré’s death in 1924, here is another recording (see my review of his Nocturnes and Barcarolles in the November issue) that mixes works from early and late in his life, and in which the same pattern of easily accessible music in the early examples and more taxing fare in the late ones – most notably in the two sonatas of 1917 and 1921 – is audible. If one is going to give prizes among the earlier works, surely the top one must go to the Élégie of 1880, in C minor like its twin, the cello version of Après un rêve. Here, we find Fauré the supreme lyricist, matching memorable melodic lines with his inimitable harmonic control, but with touches of complexity, such as the sudden acceleration of notes from bar 23 where the pianist’s right-hand melody is given the apparently contrary indication ‘cantabile espressivo’. This too is one of the universal places where the performers are 100 per cent in agreement with Fauré – and with each other. It is a delight beyond words, in this culture where authorship is increasingly going for so little, to find such skill, intelligence and respect for the composer. One further detail must suffice. In the wonderful Andante of the Second Sonata, transcribed directly from the Chant funéraire and again in C minor, the piano’s measured tread is enlightened by three indications: ‘sostenuto’, ‘cantando’, then ‘marcato’. For each, Tiberghien – with the lightest pedalling – finds a subtly different colour. Elsewhere too, the players, sharing the phrasing in the many sequences and canons, listen so attentively to each other. Altogether a superb recording. Roger Nichols