Gabriel Fauré was a child when Berlioz had finished his composition, La Damnation de Faust (The Damnation of Faust), and a teenager when Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species. Even though he lived in the 20^th century, the French composer was four years old when Chopin died, and only 18 years had passed since the passing away of Beethoven. In parallel with Fauré, composers such as Wagner, Debussy or Schönberg revolutionized the music industry one way or the other, and Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring was presented in 1913, 11 years before the passing away of Gabriel Fauré. Therefore, the fact that his music was been described as linking the end of Romanticism with the Modernism of the second quarter of the 20^th century should not come as a surprise.

Professional satisfaction occurs later

The artist spent his final years in a Europe devastated by World War I. However, in terms of professional recognition, those were the composer's best years; it was the period when he was appointed as Professor of Composition and later Head of the Paris Conservatoire and wrote many of his most appreciated works (perhaps, not the best known by the general public, which rather prefers the composer's works from his early years); also, it was the moment when the composer, organist and pianist Gabriel Fauré proved his pedagogical skills while George Enescu, Maurice Ravel and Nadia Boulanger were some of his students. He was a talented composer who strove to combine traditional elements with modern music and created some of the finest works in the French repertoire; he is also one of the musicians who influenced a generation of wonderful composers.

Famous musical pages from Fauré's creations on Arpeggio

The best known and beloved creations of Gabriel Fauré include Pavane, Requiem, the song Après un rêve, Pelléas and Mélisande Suite as well as Sicilienne for piano and cello and not only; works which you will be able to listen to on Arpeggio during the 3^rd - 7^th November week, 2014. Every Monday to Friday we dedicate the last 55 minute of the show to Gabriel Fauré's music. Presenter: Irina Cristina Vasilescu.