Fauré and Me

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Gabriel Fauré died in the early hours of 4th November, 1924. A century later, in December 2024, the concert pianist Kathryn Stott will step down from the concert platform after a long and distinguished career. Fauré has been the musical love of her life. In “Fauré and Me”, Kathryn celebrates the music of Fauré, with a personal look at the composer. She first discovered Fauré at the Yehudi Menuhin School where, at the age of 10, she had a lesson with the eminent pedagogue and composer Nadia Boulanger - a student and friend of Fauré. Since then, Kathryn has championed his music throughout her career, and has recorded all of his many works for piano. Kathryn travels to France to follow in Fauré’s footsteps. She visits his birthplace in Pamiers, Ariège, and plays an old harmonium in the little chapel in Foix where, as a small boy, his musical talents were discovered. In stark contrast, she climbs up to the organ loft of La Madeleine, to duet with chief organist François-Henri Houbart in the magnificent church which witnessed both the first performance of Fauré's Requiem, and his State Funeral. And she takes a seat in the Grand Amphitheatre of La Sorbonne, describing very movingly the splendid tribute concert put on in Fauré’s honour in 1922. Kathryn invites pianist and broadcaster Keelan Carew to the studio, to play moments from Fauré’s Nocturne no 6, and discuss the unique qualities of his music. And there are contributions from the leading Fauré scholar Jean-Michel Nectoux, and Kathryn’s great friend and colleague, cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Presenter: Kathryn Stott Producer: Susan Kenyon Music in order of appearance. ***Recorded specially for Sunday Feature Fauré: Nocturne no. 6 in D flat Kathryn Stott (piano) Fauré: Dolly Suite: Berceuse Kathryn Stott and Martin Roscoe (piano) Fauré: Pavane ***Kathryn Stott, on the harmonium of La Chapelle Notre-Dame de Montgauzy, Foix Fauré: Le papillon et la fleur (Op. 1, no 1) Caroline Sampson (soprano), Joseph Middleton (piano) Fauré: Dolly Suite: Le pas espagnol Kathryn Stott and Oisun Pu (piano) Fauré: Barcarolle no. 4 in A flat Kathryn Stott (piano) Fauré: Nocturne no. 6 in D flat ***Keelan Carew (piano) Pauline Viardot: Des Nachts ***Kathryn Stott, on Pauline Viardot's 1898 Erard piano, owned and restored by Les Amis de Georges Bizet Fauré: Romance Op. 28 Pierre Amoyal (violin), Pascal Rogé (piano) Fauré: Après un rêve ***Kathryn Stott (1898 Erard, as above) Fauré: Le Parfum Impérissable Cyrille Dubois (tenor) and Tristan Raës (piano) Fauré: Requiem: In Paradisum ***Kathryn Stott and chief organist François-Henri Houbart, on the Cavaillé-Coll Grand Organ of La Madeleine Fauré: Impromptu no. 2 Kathryn Stott (piano) - BBC Archive recording Fauré: Sicilienne Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Kathryn Stott (piano), Fauré: Piano Quintet no. 2 (2nd mvt) Domus Fauré: Diane, Séléné (L'horizon chimérique) Charles Panzéra (baritone, and dedicatee), Magdeleine Panzéra-Baillot (piano) They performed this song at the 1922 tribute concert at La Sorbonne, and later recorded it. Fauré: Ballade for Piano and Orchestra Kathryn Stott (piano), BBC Philharmonic, Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor) Fauré: String Quartet (2nd mvt) - his last work. Quatuor Ebène Fauré: Requiem: In Paradisum Nadia Boulanger (conductor), Maurice Duruflé (organ) Fauré: Nocturne no. 6 in D flat ***Keelan Carew (piano)