Gabriel Fauré – Pianodao

Intermediate French Favourites

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

In my earlier review of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic titles in Hal Leonard’s Classical Piano Sheet Music Series, I concluded,

“Those in the market for a solid collection of established pieces from each of these eras will find these books offer excellent value. For around £12 a throw, they include a wealth of well-established musical material, sympathetically edited and nicely put together.”

Since then, further titles have been added to the budget-friendly series, the most recent of which has particularly piqued my interest…

Fauré: Romances sans paroles

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

I have previously praised Jean-Pierre Bartoli’s new scholarly-critical performing editions of Fauré’s piano music from Bärenreiter, reviewing the Pavane Op.50 and the Five Impromptus when they appeared.

EXPLORE THE MUSIC OF FAURÉ

Intermediate French Favourites

I have no doubt that this collection is one which I will frequently recommend and teach from in the coming years: simply put, it offers the best introduction to the wonders of the French piano repertoire that I know of…

Fauré: Romances sans paroles

Fauré’s “Romances sans paroles” (Songs without words) are his earliest piano works, yet remain among the most gorgeous and accessible…

Fauré • Pavane Op.50

Fauré’s famous ‘Pavane’ is blessed with one of the most delectable and beloved melodies ever composed. Bärenreiter have just issued a superb urtext edition of the composer’s solo piano version, the subject of this short review…

Fauré: The 5 Impromptus

Following on from the great sets of Schubert and Chopin, Fauré’s five Impromptus present a third significant group of such pieces, and though less well-known they certainly deserve to be played more widely.

The latest arrival in this growing series is a new edition of the Trois Romances sans paroles, which like its predecessors is based on the musical text from Bärenreiter’s Oeuvres Complètes de Gabriel Fauré edition of 2020.

These pieces are wonderful Romantic piano miniatures, accessible to players at advanced level around UK Grade 8, so let’s consider this new addition to the Pianodao Music Library…

Fauré • Pavane Op.50

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

The Pavane Op.50 by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) is blessed with one of the most delectable and beloved melodies ever composed, and was from the start one of its composer’s most popular works, exuding the spirit of Paris’s fêtes galantes at the turn of the century.

The piece was originally composed for orchestra in 1887, described by Fauré at the time as “carefully crafted but not otherwise important”. Before the end of the year, there followed a version for chorus and orchestra. Some three decades later, the iconic impresario Serge Diaghilev had it choreographed for his Ballets Russes, a sign of its continuing great popularity.

Many transcriptions of the Pavane have existed, including the solo piano version published in 1889 (the composer’s duet version was also advertised, but if it ever appeared it has sadly been lost).

Many simplified versions have and continue to appear, but for those wanting to explore the original version (most likely prepared by Fauré himself, who performed it several times and even recorded it for player piano), Bärenreiter have just issued a superb urtext edition, BA 11832, the subject of this short review…

Fauré: The 5 Impromptus

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Of all the truly seminal composers in the evolution of the piano repertoire, Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) remains one of the less performed, his significance little understood, his extraordinary music too easily overlooked.

How joyous, then, to see Jean-Pierre Bartoli’s new scholarly-critical performing edition of the 5 Impromptus from leading publisher Bärenreiter, based on the musical text from the corresponding volume of their Oeuvres complètes de Gabriel Fauré of 2020.

These ravishing treasures are suitable for the advanced performer at diploma level and above (the second Impromptu, and best known of the five, is presently included on ARSM, DipABRSM, ATCL and ALCM syllabi).

Let’s take a look at this new edition…