大象传媒

Donald Macleod explores the impact of celebrated singer, Pauline Viardot, and her daughters upon Faur茅.

Gabriel Faur茅鈥檚 story begins during the second half of the 19th century, when the musical world was dominated by the heavily romantic voices of composers like Wagner, Brahms and Liszt. Faur茅 became a key protagonist in a musical revolution that opened audiences鈥� ears to new modes of expression - modern, refined and utterly French. As a composer, and as a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, he left a huge legacy on the music of the twentieth century. This week Donald Macleod explores some of the many turning points in Faur茅鈥檚 career, and how those events affected his life and his art.

Gabriel Faur茅 was invited to meet the legendary singer Pauline Viardot. He became a regular attendee at Viardot鈥檚 fashionable salon, where the young composer encountered other musicians and also writers such as Gustave Flaubert, George Sand and Ivan Turgenev. Viardot was very taken with Faur茅 and she advised him to give up writing chamber music and focus on opera. Faur茅 fell in love with Viardot鈥檚 youngest daughter, Marianne, and eventually proposed to her. Marianne broke off their engagement, which some have suggested was the reason for Faur茅 developing a reputation as a 鈥楧on Juan鈥�.

Tarentelle, 鈥淎ux cieux la lune monte et luit鈥� Op 10 No 2
Elly Ameling, soprano
Dalton Baldwin, piano

Violin Sonata No 1 in A, Op 13
Joshua Bell, violin
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

脡l茅gie in C minor, Op 24
Antonine Lederlin, cello
Basel Symphony Orchestra
Ivor Bolton, conductor

Berceuse, Op 16
Alex Schacher, violin
Basel Symphony Orchestra
Ivor Bolton, conductor

Apr猫s un r锚ve, Op 7 No 1
Automne, Op 18 No 3
Po猫me d鈥檜n jour, Op 21 No 1-3
Barbara Hendricks, soprano
Michel Dalberto, piano

Produced by Luke Whitlock, for 大象传媒 Wales