The works for cello and piano of Gabriel Fauré stemmed primarily from the antipodes of his career. Early on, he primarily composed miniatures, though the well-known Op. 24 Elegie was intended to be a movement of a sonata that never came to pass. The works from near the end of his life -- especially the two complete sonatas -- both feature surprisingly spirited, bright, eager moments despite the composer's failing health and hearing. Pianist
Eric le Sage is joined by cellist
François Salque on this impressive Alpha album. The sound quality achieved by
le Sage,
Salque, and the recording engineers at Alpha is what truly sets this album apart from others like it. The overall recorded sound quality is dry, crisp, close, and possessing a minimum of reverb. Even a bit more of any of these qualities and the disc would be sterile and uninteresting. But in their present combination, the outcome is one of exceptional clarity and focus, one in which listeners are transported to the very heart of the music.
Salque and
le Sage play with equal measures of austerity and simplicity, letting Fauré's sometimes overlooked sonatas speak to the openness and freedom achieved by the composer late in his career. The disc ends with a likewise enjoyable and gripping performance of the Op. 120 Trio with the addition of clarinetist
Paul Meyer. As Vol. 1 of what is hopefully a survey of Fauré's complete chamber music, this installment is definitely worth checking out.