It is not entirely flippant to begin by saying that Faure wrote more barcarolles than any other distinguished composer. Ranging from c1881 to 1921, they offer, like the 13 Nocturnes, a wide survey of his pianistic thought. His only models in assembling this treasure trove were, indirectly, Chopin's supreme example and the much simpler Mendelssohn gondola pieces. Barcarolles Nos. 1 and 4 are the only ones near to the basic idea of the genre and are the weakest of the series, though it is interesting to note that No. 1 evokes Faure's setting of Gondolier du Rialto by Marc Monnier. More original are Nos. 2 and 3 (pace Cortot's poor opinion of the former), and though No. 3 is notably withdrawn, its composer was still far from the enigmatic serenity of Barcarolle No. 13. The seventh of the series is strikingly elusive, however, although this did not prevent Faure composing it with remarkable speed and sureness (in four days, while on holiday).
It is not possible to comment on all of this series, although it is necessary to know them all in order to appreciate fully the composer's infinite resource in harmony, rhythm and keyboard writing. Some of the later pieces, such as Barcarolle No. 11, seem in a constant state of flux on all levels yet never for a moment lose their sense of direction. a pianist of very keen perception is needed to respond to such riches. As we should expect from his recording of Faure's Nocturnes on CRD (CRD1106/7, 4/84), Paul Crossley is the man, and the refinement and musical cultivation of his playing provide great satisfaction. He is sympathetically recorded, also.'