Kungsbacka Piano Trio & Philip Dukes - Fauré: Piano Quartet No. 1 - Piano Trio (2013/2015) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Gabriel Fauré’s musical language bridges a gap between the romanticism of the 19th century and the new worlds of music which appeared in the 20th, employing subtle harmonic changes and a gift for melody to combine innovation with an entirely personal idiom. His First Piano Quartet is filled with characteristic French colour and lyricism, and the Piano Trio in D minor is a late work whose musical language is familiar from his songs. Both the Pavane and the popular Sicilienne express nostalgia for earlier times, and the short Pièce has great simplicity and charm.

„This is a delectable way into Fauré's chamber music should it be unfamiliar territory. The First Piano Quartet is Fauré at his most luscious and in the new reading, for which the Kungsbacka Trio are joined by the viola player Philip Dukes, thee's warmth aplenty coupled with an ease with its technical demands and a wonderful conversational quality.“ (Gramophone)

„I was immediately impressed by just how well these musicians play together as a single organic entity. Their ensemble and coordination throughout the entire work are impeccable with total unity in phrasing and use of dynamics. Intonation is spot-on, string tone is rich and the balance between piano and strings is just right.“ (MusicWeb International)

Tracklist:
1. I. Allegro molto moderato 09:36
2. II. Scherzo: Allegro vivo 05:22
3. III. Adagio 07:07
4. IV. Allegro molto 08:02
5. I. Allegro ma non troppo 05:57
6. II. Andantino 08:32
7. III. Allegro vivo 04:27
8. Pavane, Op. 50 (arr. H. Busser for piano trio) 05:10
9. Vocalise-Etude (arr. for violin and piano) 02:54
10. Sicilienne, Op. 78 (version for piano) 03:25

Personnel:
Philip Dukes, viola
Malin Broman, violin
Simon Crawford-Phillips, piano
Kungsbacka Piano Trio

Digitally remastered