CD Review | Fauré: Nocturnes & Barcarolles (Hyperion, 2023)

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Fauré: Nocturnes & Barcarolles
Marc-André Hamelin, piano
Hyperion, September 2023

Pianist Marc-André Hamelin explores some of Gabriel Fauré’s lesser-known genres, the nocturne and barcarolle, in his newest album. While melancholy solo piano pieces presented in succession risk bordering on the mundane, Hamelin manages to expertly manipulate its most exciting quality: its intimacy. Hamelin’s unique and close relationship with this repertoire becomes immediately apparent in the opening E-flat minor nocturne. The listener almost feels like a “fly on the wall” during a closed-door event. The shape and contour of his phrases alongside the lightness in his playing meld to create a sound well-suited to the piece’s character.

The barcarolles yield a similar effect to the nocturnes. Despite being slightly more adventurous in range and texture, the principal “closeness” of the writing remains the same. Hamelin maintains unity between the left and right hand, even when they are on opposite ends of the keyboard. The listener can easily anticipate melodic shifts, as it fills in and returns to the middle octaves. Hamelin maintains the aforementioned lyricism at these musical climaxes.

The final piece is the “Dolly” suite for piano four hands. Here, Catherine Fuller joins Hamelin as they perform a work that mimics the intimacy of Fauré’s own life, composed for the daughter of his and Debussy’s mutual love interest, Emma Bardac. The suite evokes the nocturne in its opening lullaby and the barcarolle in its lilting fourth-movement waltz. Overall, it provides a new perspective on Fauré’s harmonic profundity, mixed with a joie-de-vivre that is dutifully captured in Hamelin and Fuller’s interpretation.

The album expertly delivers on its simple promise of showcasing Fauré’s nocturnes and barcarolles. The addition of the final suite provides welcome contrast, rounding out a wonderful presentation of Fauré’s intimate piano repertoire.

This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en: Francais (French)