Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)
Which compositions are associated with Gabriel Fauré? For certain, the Requiem and probably the Pavane as well as the orchestral suites Pelléas et Mélisande and Masques et Bergamasques, also some chamber music works such as the first Violin Sonata in A major op. 13, the Berceuse op. 16, the Élégie op. 24 or the Sicilienne op. 78 – but beyond that? Considering his complete oeuvre of some 200 works, it is no exaggeration to speak of Fauré as a largely unknown composer, even if every classical music fan is likely to be familiar with his name. He belongs to the group of composers increasingly overshadowed by their contemporaries. That the new French music of the 20th century’s first two decades is so firmly linked with the names Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel has obscured the view of other pioneers of this new music – of which to this day, Fauré is undoubtedly one. Continue reading
