Pavane (Fauré)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Pavane in F-sharp minor, op. 50, is a composition for orchestra and optional chorus by the French composer Gabriel Fauré and dates from 1887. Obtaining its rhythm from the slow processional Spanish court dance of the same name, the Pavane ebbs and flows from a series of harmonic and melodic climaxes, conjuring a cool, somewhat haunting, Belle Époque elegance. The piece is scored for only modest orchestral forces consisting of strings and one pair each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and horns. A typical performance lasts around seven minutes.

When Fauré began work on the Pavane, he envisaged a purely orchestral work to be played at a series of light summer concerts conducted by Jules Danbe. After Fauré opted to dedicate the work to his patron, Countess Élisabeth Greffulhe, he felt compelled to stage a grander affair and thus he added an invisible chorus to accompany the orchestra (with additional allowance for dancers). The choral lyrics were based on some inconsequential verses, à la Verlaine, on the romantic helplessness of man, which had been contributed by the Countess' cousin, Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac.

The orchestral version was first performed at a Concert Lamoureux under the baton of Charles Lamoureux on November 25, 1888. Three days later, the choral version was premiered at a concert of the Société Nationale de Musique. In 1891, the Countess finally helped Fauré produce the version with both dancers and chorus, in a "choreographic spectacle" designed to grace one of her garden parties in the Bois de Boulogne.

From the outset, the Pavane has enjoyed immense popularity, whether with or without chorus. It entered the standard repertoire of the Ballets Russes in 1917, where it was alternatively billed as Las Mininas or Les Jardins d'Aranjuez. Fauré's example was imitated by his pupils, who went on to write pavanes of their own: Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte and Debussy's Passepied from his Suite bergamasque.

[edit] In popular culture

Rapper Xzibit achieved his first solo success with the song "Paparazzi" from his album At the Speed of Life, a song whose opening and instrumental backing are both from Fauré's Pavane.

The piece was famously used by the BBC in the title sequence for its coverage of the 1998 World Cup. When the tournament ended, it was played again during a retrospective montage of emotionally-charged clips from the competition, in which the presenter and analyst Des Lynam read the lines of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If—" to great effect.

This piece is also featured in the S Club 7 song Natural from the album, 7; a cover version of the Norma Ray song Tous Les Maux D'Amour.

Sweetbox, a pop band known for sampling classical pieces, used Pavane as well, but to a more vengeful extent, in their Hip-Pop-esque song, Human Sacrifice, from the album, Jade. An acoustic version of this track can also be found on the special edition re-release, Jade - Silver Edition.

The popular nu-metal band Avenged Sevenfold based their song "I won't see you Tonight (part 1)" on the melodic structure of Pavane.

The Irish-Norwegian duo Secret Garden's 1996 song Song from a Secret Garden is also based upon Pavane, as are Angels Cry by The Kennedys (1998) and the second half of the song Fantasy by Earth, Wind & Fire (1976).

Guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani also used Fauré's Pavane on the song Crowd Chant from his CD released in 2006, "Super Colossal". A call and response choral arrangement is featured on this track, perhaps in tribute to the arrangement that premiered on November 28, 1888 that included an invisible chorus.

A version with lyrics was sung by Charlotte Church and Billy Gilman titled Dream a Dream, on the album of the same name (2000).

The saxophonist, Joolz Gianni, created his own electronica version of the piece. The song features as track 13 on Open Space: The Classic Chillout Album.

On the popular British television show Top Gear, the song is played during a review of the Ferrari F430 by Jeremy Clarkson.

A version by Regina Carter was played in episode 86 ('One') of Sex and the City.

Chris Botti, a classical jazz musician, also did a rendition of Pavane on the trumpet as a bonus track (Exclusive to Borders Book Stores) on his 2004 album release, "When I Fall In Love"