Gabriel Fauré was born in Pamiers, Ariège,
Midi-Pyrénées, in the south of France, the fifth son
and youngest of six children of Toussaint-Honoré
Fauré (1810–85) and Marie-Antoinette-Hélène
Lalène-Laprade (1809–87).
Fauré was the youngest son of a schoolmaster's large
family. His musical inclination showed itself early;
when he was only nine years old his father was
recommended to send him to the Niedermeyer School in
Paris, which specialised in the training of church
music...(+)
Gabriel Fauré was born in Pamiers, Ariège,
Midi-Pyrénées, in the south of France, the fifth son
and youngest of six children of Toussaint-Honoré
Fauré (1810–85) and Marie-Antoinette-Hélène
Lalène-Laprade (1809–87).
Fauré was the youngest son of a schoolmaster's large
family. His musical inclination showed itself early;
when he was only nine years old his father was
recommended to send him to the Niedermeyer School in
Paris, which specialised in the training of church
musicians. Here the somewhat dreamy, unambitious and
homesick little Gabriel might have grown up to be
solely a church organist and choirmaster "“ jobs he
did hold for much of his adult life at the prestigious
Madeleine in Paris. But among his teachers was the
dynamic young Camille Saint-Saëns, who galvanised him
into trying his hand at composition. Convinced of his
pupil's gifts, Saint-Saëns took Fauré under his wing;
he remained Fauré's closest friend and champion for
the rest of their long lives.
It was through the well-connected Saint-Saëns that
Fauré "“ by then working as a church organist while
composing his early songs and instrumental pieces "“
came to know Pauline Viardot and her family. Viardot
had been the greatest mezzo-soprano of her day,
acquainted with many of the artistic luminaries of the
19th century, not least Chopin and George Sand. She had
married the theatre director Louis Viardot in 1840, but
when she performed in St Petersburg the Russian
novelist Ivan Turgenev fell in love with her and
followed her back to Paris. Turgenev subsequently spent
most of his life in her household; her four children
addressed him as 'uncle'. Saint-Saëns introduced
Fauré to the family in 1872 "“ and the young
composer was soon captivated by Viardot's youngest
daughter, Marianne.
Of Fauré's shorter works for violin and piano, the
Berceuse Op.16 has always been the best loved. Its
perfectionism, with no note extraneous to musical
purpose, is characteristic of Fauré's finest
compositions, and its magical, hushed atmosphere
renders it rather more than a 'cradle song'. Written in
1878-9, it was the work that convinced the Paris music
publisher Julien Hamelle to take Fauré on (again
without royalties). According to Fauré's biographer
Jean-Michel Nectoux, Fauré himself attached 'no
importance' to the Berceuse; but its beauty has always
made it irresistible to violinists and listeners
alike.
Although this piece was originally written for Violin
and Piano, I created this arrangement for Flute and
Concert (Pedal) Harp.