Fauré: Masques et Bergamasques

The French composer Fauré was born at Pamier in the shadow of the Pyrenees. He came under the influence of Saint-Saens, and as organist held down many important church appointments, including that of St. Suplice and the Madelaine, and as a respected teacher he was appointed Director of the Paris Conservetoire.

Faure’s music is fastidious at times, but throughout is the epitome of lyrical elegance.

He received a commission from the Prince of Monaco to write incidental music for a one-act Divertissement Comique to a text by the French writer and librettist Rene Fauchois. The result was eight numbers half of which he “borrowed” from earlier works. The first performance took place in Monaco in the Spring of 1919.

From the complete music Faure selected four of the numbers to form this short orchestral suite as follows:-

(1) Overture (2) Menuet (3) Gavotte (4) Pastorale