When Gabriel Fauré was a boy, Berlioz had just written
La damnation de Faust and Henry David Thoreau was
writing Walden. By the time of his death, Stravinsky
had written The Rite of Spring and World War I had
ended in the devastation of Europe. In this dramatic
period in history, Fauré strove to bring together the
best of traditional and progressive music and, in the
process, created some of the most exquisite works in
the French repertoire. He was one of the most advanced
figures in French mu...(+)
When Gabriel Fauré was a boy, Berlioz had just written
La damnation de Faust and Henry David Thoreau was
writing Walden. By the time of his death, Stravinsky
had written The Rite of Spring and World War I had
ended in the devastation of Europe. In this dramatic
period in history, Fauré strove to bring together the
best of traditional and progressive music and, in the
process, created some of the most exquisite works in
the French repertoire. He was one of the most advanced
figures in French musical circles and influenced a
generation of composers world-wide.
Issued by Hamelle in 1880, the three Romances sans
paroles?a graceful nod to Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne
Worte?are Fauré's first published piano music, though
they probably date from 1863, when the composer was
still a student at the École Niedermeyer. Their early
gestation makes them all the more remarkable as,
already, they possess a unique look on the page and a
distinctively fluent feel beneath the fingers. If the
opening Andante quasi allegretto and final Andante
moderato sound like salon fare, they are already
superior salon fare and, though simple, fraught with
persuasive charm and recognizably Fauréenne
felicities. The central Allegro molto, on the other
hand, recalls the playful airiness of Mendelssohn, as
well as that composers ardent brilliance. Once known,
the set proved sufficiently popular to merit an
arrangement for violin or cello and piano by Jules
Delsart, published by Hamelle in 1896. Nos. 1 and 2
were given their official premières at a concert of
the Société Nationale de Musique, February 25, 1881,
by Pauline Roger, while the third waited until an SNM
concert of January 19, 1889.
I created this arrangement for Concert (Pedal) Hart to
highlight the delicate arpeggios and add to the
romantic ambience.
SHEET MUSIC