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Faur茅 and Me

Kathryn Stott celebrates the music of Gabriel Faur茅, 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.

Gabriel Faur茅 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. Faur茅 has been the musical love of her life.

In 鈥淔aur茅 and Me鈥, Kathryn celebrates the music of Faur茅, with a personal look at the composer. She first discovered Faur茅 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 Faur茅. 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 Faur茅鈥檚 footsteps. She visits his birthplace in Pamiers, Ari猫ge, 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 Fran莽ois-Henri Houbart in the magnificent church which witnessed both the first performance of Faur茅'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 Faur茅鈥檚 honour in 1922.

Kathryn invites pianist and broadcaster Keelan Carew to the studio, to play moments from Faur茅鈥檚 Nocturne no 6, and discuss the unique qualities of his music. And there are contributions from the leading Faur茅 scholar Jean-Michel Nectoux, and Kathryn鈥檚 great friend and colleague, cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Presenter: Kathryn Stott
Producer: Susan Kenyon

Music in order of appearance.
***Recorded specially for Sunday Feature

Faur茅: Nocturne no. 6 in D flat
Kathryn Stott (piano)

Faur茅: Dolly Suite: Berceuse
Kathryn Stott and Martin Roscoe (piano)

Faur茅: Pavane
***Kathryn Stott, on the harmonium of La Chapelle Notre-Dame de Montgauzy, Foix

Faur茅: Le papillon et la fleur (Op. 1, no 1)
Caroline Sampson (soprano), Joseph Middleton (piano)

Faur茅: Dolly Suite: Le pas espagnol
Kathryn Stott and Oisun Pu (piano)

Faur茅: Barcarolle no. 4 in A flat
Kathryn Stott (piano)

Faur茅: 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

Faur茅: Romance Op. 28
Pierre Amoyal (violin), Pascal Rog茅 (piano)

Faur茅: Apr猫s un r锚ve
***Kathryn Stott (1898 Erard, as above)

Faur茅: Le Parfum Imp茅rissable
Cyrille Dubois (tenor) and Tristan Ra毛s (piano)

Faur茅: Requiem: In Paradisum
***Kathryn Stott and chief organist Fran莽ois-Henri Houbart, on the Cavaill茅-Coll Grand Organ of La Madeleine

Faur茅: Impromptu no. 2
Kathryn Stott (piano) - 麻豆官网首页入口 Archive recording

Faur茅: Sicilienne
Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Kathryn Stott (piano),

Faur茅: Piano Quintet no. 2 (2nd mvt)
Domus

Faur茅: Diane, S茅l茅n茅 (L'horizon chim茅rique)
Charles Panz茅ra (baritone, and dedicatee), Magdeleine Panz茅ra-Baillot (piano)
They performed this song at the 1922 tribute concert at La Sorbonne, and later recorded it.

Faur茅: Ballade for Piano and Orchestra
Kathryn Stott (piano), 麻豆官网首页入口 Philharmonic, Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor)

Faur茅: String Quartet (2nd mvt) - his last work.
Quatuor Eb猫ne

Faur茅: Requiem: In Paradisum
Nadia Boulanger (conductor), Maurice Durufl茅 (organ)

Faur茅: Nocturne no. 6 in D flat
***Keelan Carew (piano)

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44 minutes

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