Cantique de Jean Racine
- Gabriel Faure (1845 - 1924) |
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Perhaps because he was
already renowned as an outstanding organist and teacher, Fauré only
slowly gained recognition as a composer. Although he wrote several works
involving a full orchestra, his particular talent lay within the more
intimate musical forms – songs, piano music and chamber music. His
somewhat austere style and highly individual, impressionistic harmonic
language contrasts markedly with the music of the Austro-German
tradition which dominated European music from the time of Beethoven
until well into the twentieth century. |
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The subtlety of
Fauré’s music, and his concentration on the small-scale, led many to
criticise him for lacking depth, a judgement based on the mistaken
premise that the bigger and bolder a composer’s music the more
worthwhile it must be. Fauré deliberately avoided the grander kind of
orchestral music that could easily have brought him fame and fortune. He
preferred instead to embrace an elegant and subtle musical language that
has won him increasing numbers of admirers. |
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The
Cantique is a setting of words by the 17th century
dramatist and poet Jean Racine. It was Fauré’s first significant
composition, written in 1865 whilst he was in his final year at the
École Niedermeyer, the ‘École de musique religieuse et classique’. He
submitted the piece for the composition prize, and won, though it was
only published eleven years later, with a full orchestral version
following in 1906. Fauré went on to write a good deal of religious music
– most notably the Requiem, written in 1888 – but of the shorter
sacred pieces it is the Cantique that has particularly captured
the affections of choirs and audiences. |
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John Bawden
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To those
using these notes You are more than welcome to use
all or part of these notes for your choral society or church
programme, or for educational purposes. If you do, please would
you be kind enough to advise me by e-mail -
bawden37@sky.com - and would you also acknowledge my
authorship. If you wish to use these notes for commercial
purposes, e.g. a CD or DVD liner, please contact me. Thank you.
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