In this centenary year of Fauré's death, the richness and beauty of the composer's dazzling piano music is a revelation. Both monumental and subtle, the music explored in this series reveal a refined artistry that deserves a wider hearing. Brilliant and colourful pieces by Fauré's pupil Ravel provide a refreshing contrast to the main items in these concerts.

Conceived on a less grand scale than the preceding Nocturnes, Fauré's Nocturnes 8-10 are in turn contemplative, ambiguous and passionate, while Ravel's ravishing Jeux d'eau celebrates the playful divine laughter of antiquity, in homage to Liszt's Jeux d'eau de la Villa d'Este. As so often with Ravel, he looks to the past to create epoch-making departures in piano-writing and its dedication to his 'dear master, Gabriel Fauré' underlines the contrast between the two composers. Robin Holloway's Scherzo alla Ciaconna is at once mysterious, fascinating, and relentlessly obsessive. Fauré's three Barcarolles 5-7 are strongly contrasting, both in scale and in content. Epic narration set against stillness, in turn stormy navigation and a tranquil boat trip.

Oslo-born David Christophersen is Artistic Director of the Cambridge Concert Series at West Road Concert Hall and has performed throughout the UK including at the Woburn Abbey Festival, Bristol St George's, Edinburgh's Reid Hall, Oxford's Hollywell Music Room and London's St John's Smith Square. He has also broadcast for BBC Radio 3. Recent projects have included premieres of new solo and chamber works by Jeremy Thurlow, Maria Ptaszynska and Robin Holloway, performances with Marie-Noelle Kendall of Holloway's monumental Gilded Goldbergs and a tour with Prokofiev's War Sonatas.

The complete Fauré Centenary Recital programme:

7th February 2024 - Fauré: Nocturnes 1-2; Barcarolles 1-2; 5 Impromptus; Ravel: Sonatine

15th May 2024 - Fauré: Nocturnes 3-7; Barcarolles 3-4; Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin

19th September 2024 - Fauré: Nocturnes 8-10; Barcarolles 5-7; Ravel Jeux d'eau; Holloway: Scherzo alla Ciaconna

6th December 2024 - Fauré: Theme & Variations; Barcarolle 8; Nocturne 11; Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit

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