The nocturnes, along with the barcarolles, are generally regarded as the composer’s greatest piano works. Fauré greatly admired the music of Chopin, and was happy to compose in forms and patterns established by the earlier composer. Morrison notes that Fauré’s nocturnes follow Chopin’s model, contrasting serene outer sections with livelier or more turbulent central episodes. The composer’s son Philippe commented that the nocturnes “are not necessarily based on rêveries or on emotions inspired by the night. They are lyrical, generally impassioned pieces, sometimes anguished or wholly elegiac.”
By contrast with its predecessor, the fifth nocturne is more animated, with unexpected shifts into remote keys. Nectoux writes of its undulating outline, and the “almost improvisatory, questioning character” of the opening.
i Prélude
ii Fugue
iii Forlane
iv Rigaudon
v Menuet
vi Toccata
Le Tombeau de Couperin (The Grave of Couperin) is a suite for solo piano by Maurice Ravel, composed between 1914 and 1917. The piece is in six movements, based on those of a traditional Baroque suite. Each movement is dedicated to the memory of a friend of the composer (or in one case, two brothers) who had died fighting in World War I. Ravel also produced an orchestral version of the work in 1919, although this omitted two of the original movements.
Tim Rumsey - Piano
Tim Rumsey is a tenacious, dynamic young artist with a passion for a wide variety of music. He is an experienced concert soloist and ensemble performer delighting audiences both large and small, having played at venues including the Wigmore Hall, Chichester Cathedral and the V&A Museum.
Flute/Guitar Duo
18 January 2024
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