Nocturne No. 1 in E-Flat Minor, Op. 33 No. 1
Barcarolle No. 3 in G-Flat Major, Op. 42
Theme et variations in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 73
Nocturne No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 74
Impromptu No. 5 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 102
Nine Preludes, Op. 103
Barcarolle No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 106bis
Nocturne No. 13 in B Minor, Op. 119
3 Romances sans paroles, Op. 17 - No. 3 in A-Flat Major Andante moderato

Thirteen Nocturnes and as many Barcarolles form the core of the collected output of Gabriel Urbain Faure for the piano. Night-time meditations, then, along with inspiration drawn from rippling water (the origins of the barcarolle lie in the songs sung by Venetian gondoliers and the word itself comes from the Italian ‘barca’, a boat.) Along with some impromptus, preludes and other works, one might rapidly gain the impression of a delightful collection of salon music, whose titles may actually display the influence of Chopin. But this music is so very much more than pretty salon music. In the intimacy of these genres, Faure succeeded time and again in nothing short of exposing his very soul. And the French composer’s style is entirely his ownoriginal and personal- from the first note to the last.Hannes Minnaar received international acclaim after winning several international competitions and being awarded a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship.

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Recorded at Westvest 90 Schiedam, The Netherlands, 26-28 January 2016. Reedycja płyty CC 72731.