Romance, Op.69
Papillon, Op.77
Sérénade, Op.98
Berceuse, Op.16
Sonata No.1 in D minor for cello and piano, Op.109
Morceau de lecture (1897)
Berceuse, Op.56 No.1, from ‘Dolly
Sicilienne, Op.78
Élégie, Op.24
Sonata No.2 in G minor for cello and piano, Op.117
Andante for cello and harmonium (original version of Romance, Op.69)

In French music, Gabriel Fauré(1845 –1924) forms a link between Romanticism and modernism: in Paris in the year of his birth, Chopin was still composing, and by the time of his death, jazz was all the rage, while Stravinsky was championing neoclassicism. This present recording contains all of Fauré’smusic for cello and piano, including the much-loved Élégieand Sicilienne–pieces that are sometimes described as ‘salon music’, with qualities that caused Debussy to dub the composer ‘the master of charms’. But interspersed with this lighter fare are also the two sonatas from Fauré’slater period when, suffering from increasing deafness, he developed a more pared-down style. Even though the sonatas came into being only a few years apart they are nevertheless quite different –appearing in 1917, Sonata No. 1 in D minoris very much a wartime work, at times almost violent. The G minor Sonatais altogether more accessible, with a vivacious finale that caused the composer Vincent d’Indyto remark to the 78-year old Fauré: ‘How lucky you are to stay young like that!’ Andreas Brantelid’sprevious release for BIS –a disc with music by Grieg and Percy Grainger –received critical acclaim including a GramophoneEditor’s Choice. For this all-Fauréprogramme he has chosen to collaborate with pianist and highly respected chamber musician Bengt Forsberg.