The twenty-four works in this volume--twelve nocturnes and twelve barcarolles composed over a span of forty years--form a splendid musical document of Faure’s evolution as a composer. In his first nocturne and first barcarolle, composed in his early thirties, the influences of Romanticism, of Chopin and Saint-Saens, are felt. In the last nocturne and barcarolle, both composed in 1915, when Faure was 70, we hear the bold, lean musical language of the 20th century.

The music of Gabriel Faure (1845-1924) is an important link between the innovations of late Romanticism and the experimentation of the early 20th century. In his long life, Faure witnessed the achievements of both Richard Wagner and Alban Berg. A student of Saint-Saens, Faure, in turn, taught Ravel and was an influential mentor to the young modernists of Les Six, among them Francis Poulenc, Darius Milhaud and Arthur Honegger.

The twenty-four works in this volume--twelve nocturnes and twelve barcarolles composed over a span of forty years--form a splendid musical document of Faure’s evolution as a composer. In his first nocturne and first barcarolle, composed in his early thirties, the influences of Romanticism, of Chopin and Saint-Saens, are felt. In the last nocturne and barcarolle, both composed in 1915, when Faure was 70, we hear the bold, lean musical language of the 20th century.

These piano masterworks reveal Faure’s distinctive musical gifts: subtle rhythmic fluidity, harmonic daring, free-flowing polyphony between the hands and, above all, lyrical melody. Pianists will enjoy discovering the rare musical personality that unfolds in these compositions, reprinted here from authoritative French editions.

TWELVE NOCTURNES (ca. 1875-1915)

No. 1 in E-flat Minor (Op. 33, No. 1)

No. 2 in B Major (Op. 33, No. 2)

No. 3 in A-flat Major (Op. 33, No. 3)

No. 4 in E-flat Major (Op. 36)

No. 5 in B-flat Major (Op. 37)

No. 6 in D-flat Major (Op. 63)

No. 7 in C-sharp Minor (Op. 74)

No. 8 in D-flat Major (Op. 84, No. 8)

No, 9 in B Minor (Op. 97)

No. 10 in E Minor (Op. 99)

No. 11 in F-sharp Minor (Op. 104, No. 1)

No. 12 in E Minor (Op. 107)

TWELVE BARCAROLLES (ca. 1880-1915)

No. 1 in A Minor (Op. 26)

No. 2 in G Major (Op. 41)

No. 3 in G-flat Major (Op. 42)

No. 4 in A-flat Major (Op. 44)

No. 5 in F-sharp Minor (Op. 66)

No. 6 in E-flat Major (Op. 70)

No. 7 in D Minor (Op. 90)

No. 8 in D-flat Major (Op. 96)

No. 9 in A Minor (Op. 101)

No. 10 in A Minor (Op. 104, No. 2)

No. 11 in G Minor (Op. 105)

No. 12 in E-flat Major (Op. 106 bis)