Barcarolles / Theme & Variations
Testament earns a debt of gratitude by rescuing these faultless Fauré performances from undeserved obscurity. The close-up mid-1950s mono sound fully conveys Thyssens-Valentin's gorgeous tone and sophisticated touch, along with the graded dynamics that let us hear the way she carefully builds the tolling bell sounds of the first Barcarolle into a big climax that then slowly recedes. So while this--and the other two Testament reissues of her Fauré--are historically important, they don't force you to listen through severely dated sound. The 13 Barcarolles are wonderful works, full of gently rolling rhythms that suit their name, but also with an undertow of melancholy often missing from other performances. Thyssens-Valentin's only real rivals in this music are such past greats as Margeurite Long, whose angular, etched interpretation of No. 6 offers a contrast to Thyssens-Valentin's smoothly flowing, more introspective version, and Robert Casadesus (Sony), whose exciting, high-voltage No. 5 contrasts with her more relaxed, color-drenched performance. But those pianists didn't record all 13; Thyssens-Valentin did, and hers stands above all other versions.--Dan Davis