Fauré: Orchestral Works

Gabriel Fauré is best known for his Requiem and Pavane, but these are not typical of an output that focused largely on solo piano pieces, songs and chamber music, many of which were orchestrated by others. His Violin Concerto was never completed but the surviving first movement reveals Fauré’s characteristic playfulness with rhythm and harmony. The short prelude to Pénélope, Fauré’s only opera, conveys the sombre and passionate moods of its heroine, heard here alongside favourites such as the poignant Élégie, the beloved Dolly and, famous among flautists, the distinguished Fantaisie.