Fauré: Piano Quintets Nos. 1 & 2

Gabriel Fauré’s chamber works, long overshadowed by his popular Requiem (Naxos 8550765), are regaining their rightful place, as the success of his Violin Sonatas (8550906) and Cello Sonatas (8557889) attests. Dubbed the ‘Master of Charm’ by Debussy, Fauré responded to the quasi-orchestral opportunities offered by the piano quintet with two gorgeous works whose frequent economy of means belies the wealth of his inventiveness. The highly chromatic Scherzo of the second Piano Quintet in particular gives Fauré’s works of this period an authentic place in twentieth-century composition. Despite the stylistic and harmonic development evident in these works, as ever with Fauré there are also moments of sheer beauty and melodic inspiration. The Fine Arts Quartet have been praised as “One of the gold-plated names in chamber music” by The Washington Post