Fauré: Barcarolle No. 3 in G flat major Op. 42

There is a great variety of performers, traditions, and composers represented in volume 4 of this pioneering series.

The pianists comprise the well known, the undeservedly neglected, and the tragic. One such is Rosa Tamarkina, a prodigiously talented musician, who died at 30. There is Liza Fuchsova, a brilliant Czech, who can be heard in a rare 1944 HMV disc. Lilly Dymont was recorded in Berlin in 1930, Marie-Thérèse Fourneau in wartime Paris, and Winifred Christie in London in 1921. Of volume 3 (8111217) Gramophone wrote: ‘a fascinating series… and brilliant assembly, which makes you look forward to volume 4.’

Giulio Biddau is a young Sardinian pianist who has studied with Aldo Ciccolini, who suggested that he record the complete Barcarolles by Gabriel Fauré. Biddau adds to that the little-recorded, ‘Theme and Variations’. Winner of Spedidam in Aix-en-Provence, Giulio appears regularly on major European stages. This is the first hard evidence of his exceptional qualities, a great pianist of tomorrow.

An unclassifiable figure among his contemporaries, Gabriel Fauré created a new and wholly original style on the piano. This discreetly individual composer was inspired by the resources of the instrument to conceive music whose luminous, diaphanous sonorities always coupled with a firm transparency of texture. His extreme sensitivity in even his slightest works "discourages oafs, frivolous players and tourists, but speaks softly in the ear of those who deserve to hear", as Vladimir Jankélévitch wrote.

Following a critically acclaimed recording of Fauré’s Complete Nocturnes (AV2133), Charles Owen surveys the composer’s Complete Barcarolles, uniquely coupled with Trois Romances sans paroles.

Pianist Charles Owens follows a critically acclaimed release of Fauré’s popular Nocturnes (AV2133) with a relative rarity – a complete survey of the composer’s Barcarolles uniquely coupled with Trois Romances sans paroles, Fauré’s first published works for piano. The Barcarolles straddle the turn of the 20th century and span a four-decade period, from 1880 – 1921. The works’ dedicatees were a veritable roll call of Parisian musical elite. Though written and published separately, they hang together well through their combination of mystery, humanity and inner poetry. Yet it is a rare pianist who plays all thirteen, a bill that Charles Owen lives up to brilliantly.

Like Chopin’s Barcarolles, Fauré’s work shows equal measures of limpidity and gravity, brightness and great depth. Delphine Bardin started playing the piano at the age of five and went on to study piano as a graduate at the Paris Conservatory under Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and chamber music under Christian Ivaldi. In 1997 she won the Clara Haskil prize, one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the world.

Numerous solo engagements followed including invitations from Birmingham, Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Wigmore Hall and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. Since then, Delphine Bardin has been travelling the world both as a chamber musician and soloist. She has also formed two duos: one with the cellist Ophélie Gaillard and another with Sarah Louvion, flute soloist with the Frankfurt Opera. She also regularly plays quintet concert programmes with the Benaïm Quartet.

This recording was made possible through the support of The Ivory Classics Foundation.

Continuing the series of live performances by the legendary Earl Wild this current release comes from concerts dating from 1973 to 1987 and is one of the best compulations of Earl Wild performances to date. Featuring Weber's Rondo Brilliante, Chopin Mazurka's and Barcarolle, as well as Faure' Barcarolle, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Moszkowski, d'Albert and three spectacular Liszt Rhapsodies. This disc is not to be missed.