Search - Claude Debussy, Florestan Trio, Gabriel Faure :: Faure, Debussy & Ravel Piano Trios (Stereo Hybrid SACD)

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P. SIMPSON | North Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 07/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"BUY THIS. If it wasnt on SACD I'd still be raving about it. The performances are everything you'd expect from the Florestan (child of Domus). The Ravel is exciting and more reminiscent of the string quartet than with many other performances and the Debussy is a lesser known early-gem. In this performance, the Ravel has so much more to say than in others which revel in its virtuosity without also revelling in its subtletyAs to the Faure, well, words fail. It is simply one of the best performances of all time, surpassing even the Beaux Arts in capturing so much of the world of late-Faure. Its a work which is contemporaneous with the great op. 121 string quartet yet which, to my ears, has never sounded as profound. Now, I'm converted, - its enigmatic, meditative, and, in the finale, vigourous, and the Florestan capture every changing nuance and mood, within a cogent framework. Wonderful!! Now to the sound on SACD, - this is how chamber music should sound. It is natural, unforced, airy, communicative and yet unobtrusive. All Hyperion recordings are good, - this is EXEMPLARY, a perfect match of medium with message, of sound with performance. Five stars all round. Bravo."

MENAGE' A TROIS, MUSICALLY SPEAKING

Melvyn M. Sobel | Freeport (Long Island), New York | 04/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rarely recorded--- no less as a trio of trios!--- these freshly musical, civilized and lyrical performances of works by Faure, Debussy and Ravel have, as well, rarely sounded so appealing. The Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120 of Faure [1845-1924], written in the twilight of his years, offers a surprising glimpse of a composer now soothingly romantic, tuneful and uncomplicated. Shorn are earlier complexities, and in their place the warmth of an autumnal glow, most beautifully illuminated in the rapturous Andantino. No less surprising is the late-teenage G minor Piano Trio, written in 1880, of Claude Debussy [1862-1918], whose fabulous impressionist leanings are still formative. The young composer, drawing more on the romantic confluence of Tchaikovsky and Schumann, and perhaps even Rheinberger, is delightfully naive. Melody flows, spontaneous, charming and unpretentious. Ravel [1875-1937] falls mid-way between his two contemporaries, and his Piano Trio of 1914 already retains stylistic elements the ear instantly recognizes as the composer's own. Grace and nostalgic misterioso haunt this attractive work, making the couplings here all the more fascinating in their unique diversion, and irrepressibly valuable in their collective availability. The Florestan Trio (using members from the brilliant Domus ensemble) is outstanding, each musician contributing nuanced, sensitive accounts. The sound is richly detailed and warm.



[Running time: 65:50]"

Three gems of French Chamber Music

Alan Lekan | Boulder, CO | 02/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Whether as a Piano Trio (Florestan) or as a Piano Quartet (Domus) or even in duet, Susan Tomes and her British musical colleages have found a fertile niche in the Romantic period chamber music of Faure, Dvorak, Debussy, Schumann, Brahms and Ravel. Their Hyperion recordings of Faure's and Dvorak's Piano Quartets and Piano Quintets all rose to the top choices, winning some impressive awards along the way (Penguin Rosette, Gramophone Award). Ditto for their Schumann and Beethoven Piano Trios. This collection of piano trios from the great French Romantic composers - Faure, Debussy and Ravel - is no less outstanding and admirable. All three trios are absolute gems of French chamber music and are emmensely enjoyable, especially when played as alluringly by the Florestan Trio.



The Florestans play this music with imagination, delicacy and compelling musicianship that keeps the music vibrant and perpetually expressive. They bring out the gorgeous lyricism in the Faure and Debussy Trios with smooth, effortless melodic lines and rich sonorities. I would say in general they present this genre of music with a slightly more relaxed, less-edgy personna with a focus on tonal beauty and graceful lines. In particular, Faure's Andantino and Debussy's Scherzo and Andante are equisite in their hands. I did not realize how superb this music was until hearing their recording here.



The pairing with the more "modern" Piano Trio by Maurice Ravel is wonderfully compatible yet diverse enough to cap off a most interesting recital that spans several decades of French chamber music. The Floristan Trio renders Ravel's curiously emotive textures with equistite subtlety that keeps one listening closely to its fascinating shifts of color and nuance. Their reading of the hauntingly beautiful "Passacaille" third movement is particularly stunning in its expressive effects that can melt you (some really beautiful cello and low-register violin lines against a deep bass dirge tempo from Tomes). For all, the sound is exceptionally good even without the SACD enhancement (clear, vibrant, optimally resonant to bring just the right depth of presence). A bonus are 7 pages of above-average liner notes. The more I hear the music of Susan Tomes and this Trio (or in duet with Kyrsia Osostowicz), the more I am impressed and inspired. This marvelous CD has vaulted to the top of my favorites. Compositions - 5 stars; Performance - 5 stars; Sound quality - 5 stars."