Faure And Me

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

Kathryn Stott celebrates Gabriel Faure on the eve of the centenary of his death.

Kathryn Stott celebrates the music of Gabriel Fauré, on the eve of the centenary of his death, and looks back on her career as she prepares to step down from the concert platform.

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

***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

Nadia Boulanger (conductor), Maurice Duruflé (organ)

Kathryn Stott celebrates Gabriel Faure, on the eve of the centenary of his death.

[LISTEN NOW]