Enough with the metronome, already!
JMB1014 | USA | 02/24/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"As a lifelong fan of Faure, I was really disappointed with this recording. It defeats me how such charming music can be played so charmlessly. I want to call this the John Philip Sousa version of Faure's music for piano, four hands. There is a metronomic brutality to what are supposed to be lovely, gossamer strands of French impressionistic music. All we need is a Prussian with spiked helmet and monocle harumphing along to complete the visual portrait suggested by this abject performance. I am seriously glad it cost me only $4.99 - but at that it was five times as expensive as it should have been. I have Robert and Gaby Casadesus playing some of these pieces - beautifully. Also, Serge Baudo conducted a really lovely orchestral performance years ago on LP (Seraphim). Faure's tender, delicate melodies are accustomed to wearing pastels like lavender, mauve, pale yellow, and gray; they deserve better than to be shoved into a red and gold uniform and sent off to high-step down the Rue Lacrymale."