The epic form of the Romantic concerto never quite intersected with the artistry of Gabriel Fauré, whose music evolved from melodic charm to an inward late style. This release combines a couple of near approaches with solo-and-orchestra arrangements of several other Fauré works, offering music with the violin, cello, flute, and piano as solo instruments. Except for the opening Ballade for piano and orchestra, Op. 19, and perhaps the Berceuse for violin and orchestra, Op. 16, they are little played, and the youthful 15-minute Violin Concerto, Op. 14, has remained unpublished. That's a pretty slight work, but the other early pieces are good examples of Fauré's effusive idiom. The orchestral parts of the later works are not Fauré's but were arranged by other at the height of the composer's fame; they're competently done, but they leave you wishing for the intimate atmosphere of a good Fauré chamber performance. No such complaints apply to the performances here, however, which are of a uniformly high standard and deliver the endless flowing quality you're hoping for. The
Orchestre de Bretagne (Orchestra of Brittany), a relatively young regional ensemble, is led into a beautifully restrained sound by veteran Hungarian conductor
Moshe Atzmón. An offbeat pick for lovers of the late Romantic period.