In my opinion, Fauré is one of the most unappreciated composers ever. He writes just as well as Beethoven or Mozart, but is widely unknown outside of France. This is because he writes many smaller grade projects like songs and chamber music. I am writing this post to share with a wide variety of people, the works of Gabriel Fauré. Please enjoy!
7. Cantique de Jean Racine
We sang this in my High School choir this year. The vocal parts combined together sound absolutely stunning, and the piano (and in this case strings) part only adds to the beauty of the piece. In English the title means Hymn of Jean Racine.
6. Barcolle no. 6 in E-Flat Major
The girl who has her piano lesson before me played this piece yesterday and Mr. Barone (my piano teacher) gave me the score to read along. I have listened to this piece at least 5 times since. I think it is absolutely beautiful, and even though it is complex, the way the girl before me played it, I stopped focusing on the complexity of it, but the beautiful sound. (I think the girl before me played it better than the person playing it in this recording).
5. Pavane Opus 50
I asked my theory teacher what other pieces by Fauré I should include in this list, and he this was the first he recommended. I listened to it this morning, and it is a different brand of classical than the 2 prior to it. It sounds a lot like folk music, and more specifically to me, music from The Hobbit. I think the pizzicato strings throughout the beginning are what give it this sound, then it flows into a more triumphant and legato section, which, again, reminds me of the hobbit, only the parts where they are fighting the dragon. Anyway, here is Pavane.
4. Violin Sonata no. 1
The piano part in this Sonata, sounds beautiful, as does the violin. I think this is Sonata sounds amazing not because of the complexity of the parts, but because of how well the parts can coexist, and still maintain a complex sound.
3. Piano Quintet no. 1
This quintet contains five instruments, each with different parts. I like the Arpeggios the piano plays throughout the beginning, and the two violin parts. However, the Piano bass clef part, Cello, and the Viola parts are most likely what make this piece sound unique. Though you may not be able to hear it, they are always playing under the main theme, giving it those impactful chords.
2. String Quartet opus 121
This piece makes me think of traveling in a traffic jam. It gives you that feeling of traveling slowly, and makes you think in a little bit of a gloomy way, kind of like the guy in front of you who you curse out in a traffic jam.
1. Requiem
This is one of Fauré's few major projects. A requiem is a death mass, and usually very long. I decided to include this as number one because of the fact that it is a major project. The strings part for this piece sounds beautiful, as well as the choral part.
Thanks for reading this! If you enjoyed these pieces, make sure to listen to Fauré's many other works. I hope this has given a few more people an interest in his music. Also please remember to let me know which piece was your favorite, and check back later!
Also remember to check for: My weekly 7 post, and My Art of War Review