Fauré: Fantaisie for flute & orchestra (or flute & piano), Op. 79

For this recording, husband and wife duo Michael and Regine Kofler have chosen works which are dear to their hearts and they have regularly featured in their recitals. Many are existing arrangements, but they have arranged a few works themselves. They include compositions by Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Ibert, Berthomieu, Fauré, Tournier, Rossini and Saint-Saëns.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal flutist, Mathieu Dufour, conceived this smartly programmed disc of late 19th/early 20th-century flute fantasies from his native France. He performs with the highly regarded Chicago-based pianist Kuang-Hao Huang.

Fantaisie combines CD rarities, such as Phillippe Gaubert’s Fantaisie and Albert Franz Doppler’s Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise, with flute enthusiast-favorites including Gabriel Fauré’s Fantaisie, Op. 79, and Francois Borne’s Fantaisie Brillante on Themes from Bizet’s Carmen.

The CD combines virtuosic pieces written for the annual, competitive Concours examination at the Paris Conservatory — the fantasies by Fauré, Gaubert, and Georges Hüe — and works that elaborate on opera themes and folk tunes: the fantasies by Doppler and Borne plus Paul Taffanel’s Fantaisie on Themes From Weber’s Der Freischütz, one of the greatest opera fantasies for any instrument.

Mathieu Dufour, principal flute of the Chicago Symphony since 1999, is “one of the world’s most admired — and coveted — flutists” (Chicago Sun-Times). He was appointed CSO principal at age 25, making him one of the youngest players ever to hold such a position. Before that, he was principal flutist of the Paris National Opera and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

Ballad, Berceuse, Elegie, Fantaises, Romance, all titles which define themselves as Gabriel Fauré’s poetic and captivating imagination. This first complete recording of the concertante works, composed between 1878 and 1919 will surely became another landmark for the Timpani label.

“Great British Hope,” Kathryn Thomas presents a beautiful collection of flute music by Gabriel Faure and his contemporaries.

With the support of the composers Franck, Massenet, Fauré, Duparc and Saint-Saëns, the Société Nationale de Musique was set up in February 1871 to promote its distinctive symphonic and chamber music concerts. This disc presents a selection of music that featured in these concerts, many of which were premiered by France’s leading flautist at the time, Paul Taffanel. Thanks to Taffanel, a tradition of commissioning works especially for these concours began to emerge. At first the commissions were just for the flute competition but very soon, under Taffanel’s influence, new works began to be commissioned for all the wind and brass instruments.