Composer Spotlight: Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré is widely considered one of France's greatest and most influential composers, whose personal nature and works are often described as “gentle and refined.” Despite his prolific output across a spectrum of genres and harmonic innovations, Fauré’s music took decades to become widely accepted, except in Britain, where he had many admirers. Fauré laid the foundations for many crucial developments in French music and served an important bridge between the music of the 19th and 20th centuries. One hundred years after his death in 1924, however, Fauré still is not a household name. Curious to learn more about Fauré? Read on.
Lifelong Friendship with Camille Saint-Saëns. Nine-year-old Fauré was sent to the Niedermeyer School for church music in Paris to study to become a church organist and choirmaster. Organist, pianist, and composer Camille Saint-Saëns served as the school’s piano teacher, who encouraged Fauré to compose and became a mentor. Fauré and Saint-Saëns remained lifelong friends.
Master of the French Song. Fauré is widely regarded as the greatest master of French song, or melodies. Chamber works also rank among Fauré’s most important contributions to music.
Only Composed for a Few Months Each Year. Fauré’s responsibilities as organist of the L’Église de la Madeleine and director of the Paris Conservatoire left little time for composing. He did most of his composing in the summer months, once the school year was completed and he could leave Paris for the countryside.
Influenced 20th Century Composers. Fauré’s harmonic and melodic innovations influenced the teaching of harmony for future generations. He was also crucial to a movement that aimed to establish a characteristically French style of composition. As a professor of composition, Fauré taught other renowned composers, to include Maurice Ravel, George Enescu and Jean Roger-Ducasse, helping them find their individual voices.
Founding Member of the Société Nationale de Musique. Along with Saint-Saëns and a handful of other composers, Fauré established the Société Nationale de Musique, which aimed to encourage an indigenously French style of musical composition and to shake off German influence. The Société paid special attention to chamber music, which had been under-represented in 19th-century Paris, where opera was the predominant measure of a composer’s success.
Paris Conservatoire Faculty. Fauré served as professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire and from 1905 to 1920 as its director. During his tenure, he made profound changes to the curriculum and expanded the range of music taught.
Deafness. During the last 20 years of his life, Fauré suffered from increased deafness. Fauré’s loss of hearing not only affected his ability to hear sounds, but distorted the sounds as well, making it impossible for him to teach.
Learn more about our upcoming Feast of St. Louis Oratory concert on August 25, 2024.