ABILITY RATING ADVANCED
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924), composer, organist, pianist and teacher, lived during a period of rapid musical development. Born while Chopin was still composing, he witnessed the birth of jazz and the atonality of the Second Viennese School. By the end of his life, Fauré was regarded as France’s leading composer, although it took decades for his music to become as celebrated overseas. He is best known for his songs, yet his piano output is also considerable, comprising nocturnes, valses-caprices, impromptus and barcarolles.
‘This is introspective, contemplative music, of unassuming profundity’ As a child, Fauré studied at the Ecole Niedermeyer in Paris where he was exposed to plainsong, Renaissance polyphony, fugue and counterpoint in preparation for a career as a church musician. When he was 16, Saint-Saëns joined the…
