Fauré's Pelléas et Mélisande Suite

The Conservatory Orchestra under the baton of Meistro Rothman, performs Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 80, a suite derived from incidental music by Gabriel Fauré for Maurice Maeterlinck's play of the same name. He was the first of four leading composers to write music inspired by Maeterlinck's drama. Debussy, Schoenberg and Sibelius followed in the first decade of the 20th century.

Fauré's music was written for the London production of Maeterlinck's play in 1898. To meet the tight deadline of the production, Fauré reused some earlier music from incomplete works and enlisted the help of his pupil Charles Koechlin, who orchestrated the music. Fauré later constructed a four-movement suite from the original theatre music, orchestrating the concert version himself." Wikipedia

"Fauré’s music is elegant, serene, and magical. The Prélude (Quasi Adagio) is filled with both sensuality and tragic foreboding. Pastel colors emerge as the flute and other wind instruments blend with the strings. A series of instrumental voices, including the solo flute, oboe, clarinet, and cello take the stage in a shimmering musical drama." -- The Listeners' Club

George Rothman, Conductor

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