Pavane (Fauré)

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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, Elisabeth, comtesse 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

  • John Williams with the Douglas Gamley Orchestra used "Pavane" in "The Monster Club" movie from 1980 for the first story of the film. It is also available to hear separately on the DVD in the special features area.
  • 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. An instrumental version of "Paparazzi" was used in The Sopranos episode "Pax Soprana."
  • 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.
  • 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"
  • Hermeto Pascoal, playing in the Brazilian Octopus band, recorded a somewhat jazzy version of this song in 1969.
  • Branford Marsalis recorded the "Pavane" on his "Romances for Saxophone" Album backed up by the English Cahmber Orchestra and the Tallis Chamber Choir under the baton of Andrew Litton; released in 1986.
  • Il Divo, a multi-national crossover quartet, used Pavane as a source of material in their romantic song named 'Isabel' with Spanish lyric in their 2nd album 'Ancora'(2005)
  • Liverpool band The Farm recorded an electronic version of Pavane as the basis for their 1992 single "Rising Sun".

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