Gabriel Fauré: The Songs and their Poets (Guildhall Research Studies)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.31 (589 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0754659607 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 488 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-01-27 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
In 1905 he became director of the Paris Conservatoire, and he composed his most profound music in old age. The chronological range of the narrative encompasses Fauré's first poet, Victor Hugo, who railed against Napoleon III in the 1850s, and the last, Jean de La Ville de Mirmont, killed in action in the First World War. In this comprehensive and richly illustrated study each of Fauré's 109 songs receives a separate commentary. In this detailed study Graham Johnson places the vocal music within twin contexts: Fauré's own life story, and the parallel lives of his many poets. His existence, steadily productive and outwardly imperturbable, was undermined by self-doubt, an unhappy marriage and a tragic loss of hearing. The career of Gabriel Fauré as a composer of songs for voice and piano traverses six decades (1862-1921); almost the whole history of French mélodie is contained within these parameters. His status as a great composer of timeless. We encounter such giants as Charles Baudelaire and Paul Verlaine, the patrician Leconte de Lisle, the forgotten Armand Silvestre and the Belgian symbolist Charles Van Lerberghe. Fauré is no longer merely a 'Master of Charms' circumscribed by the belle époque. Pointed in the direction of symbolist poetry by Robert de Montesquiou in 1886, Fauré was the favoured composer from the early 1890s of Winnarretta Singer, later Princesse de Polignac, and
. He is Senior Professor of accompaniment at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He was appointed OBE in 1994 and Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres in 2002. Author of A French Song Companion and Britten: Voice and Piano (the latter for Ashgate) he has masterminded Hyperion Record’s French Song Edition, including the complete Chabrier and Fauré songs. Founder of the Songmake
'Without question, Gabriel Faure: The Songs and Their Poets ought to be on the shelves of all music libraries, singers, voice instructors, and accompanists, as it will become a frequent reference for anyone interested in French music and will be read cover-to-cover by all Faureans.' --Notes
C. Orde said A reference guide to cherish. Don't let the term "Research Studies" put you off. This is anything but a dry academic textbook. Although it is a scholarly work, packed with all kinds of information -- musical, cultural and historical -- the information is always presented in a very readable, approachable and personal way, which makes it as much a book to dip into for pleasure as one to consult for reference. The text is informative without being overly didactic. It is humorous and at times witty but not exaggeratedly so. Johnson often . "Mandatory reading for singers and pianists" according to Fivetissimo. I echo Ms. Orde's review above, which was the final nudge that convinced me to splurge on this book after many months of staring at it through the virtual shopwindow. It is a book for the Fauré lover to cherish. Johnson's chapter of "Notes on the performance of Fauré's Songs" should be mandatory reading for any singer or pianist who plans to sing this repertoire (much of it applies to other French composers as well).I'm really looking forward to Johnson's forthcoming Schubert book (supposedl. Insightful and inspiring Claudia Hommel For those who love poetry and song, who have the opportunity to listen to various recordings of the Fauré songs, this is a fabulous book. It is insightful, intriguing, and inspiring. I wish I'd known of it before launching my own Jazz Fauré Project. As I continue to explore the songs, I return to Johnson's book again and again. Beautifully prepared with illustrations, glossaries.