Gabriel Fauré
Romance A major op. 69 for Violoncello and Piano
This brief, utterly charming and tuneful piece was probably committed to paper in 1894, though Fauré based it on an older version for cello and organ. The subsequent tempo change to “Andante quasi Allegretto” made the work’s original title of “Andante” obsolete. The change of name to “Romance” was also better suited to its songlike nature. After its first performance in November 1894 the piece rapidly became popular and is a well-loved encore piece at concerts today. This “Romance” continues the Henle Urtext series of short pieces for cello by Fauré, for which we have been able to engage David Geringas to add the performance markings.
About the Composer
Gabriel Fauré
Representative exponent of French music around 1900. His creative work is centered around the art song, piano music (nocturnes, barcarolles, impromptus, valse-caprice), and chamber music – alongside other genres.
| 1845 | Born in Pamiers (Ariège) on May 12, the son of a primary school teacher. |
| 1854–65 | Attends the École de musique classique et religieuse (founded by L. Niedermeyer), where liturgical musicians were educated; lessons with Saint-Saëns (from 1861). |
| 1866–70 | Organist at the church of Saint-Sauveur in Rennes. |
| 1871 | After occupying various organist positions in Paris, he becomes assistant organist to Saint-Saëns at Saint-Sulpice. He numbers among the founding members of the Société nationale de musique. Performances of his works in their concerts. |
| 1874 | Premiere of his “Suite d’orchestre” in F major (“Symphony No. 1”), which is a compilation of existing pieces. |
| 1875/76 | Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13. |
| 1876–79 | Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15 |
| 1877 | Maître de chapelle at Paris’s Église de la Madeleine. |
| 1876/78 | Premiere of his choral work “Les Djinns,” Op. 12. |
| from 1879 | Attends performances of Wagner’s music; in his own compositions he distances himself from Wagner. |
| 1885 | Premiere of his Symphony No. 2 in D minor, later destroyed. |
| 1887/88 | Requiem, Op. 48. |
| 1891 | “Cinq Mélodies ‘de Venise’,” Op. 58, on texts by Verlaine. |
| 1892–94 | “La bonne chanson,” Op. 61, on texts by Verlaine. |
| 1896 | Successor to Dubois at the Madeleine. He conducts a composition class at the Paris Conservatoire. |
| 1900 | Premiere of the tragédie lyrique “Prométhée,” Op. 82. |
| 1905–20 | Director of the Conservatoire. |
| 1909 | President of the Société musicale indépendante. |
| 1913 | Premiere in Monte Carlo of his opera “Pénélope.” |
| 1919 | Song cycle, “Mirages,” Op. 113, with clear features of his modernist late style. |
| 1924 | Death in Paris on November 4. |
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