Opera: Penelope - Prelude

Gabriel Urbain Fauré (fr. Gabriel Urbain Fauré, May 12, 1845, Pamiers, France - November 4, 1924, Paris, France) - French composer and teacher.

Born into the family of a school teacher. At the age of nine he went to study at the school of church music at the Institute, which was led by Louis Niedermayer - are trained organists and choirmasters for the needs of the Catholic Church; Foret among teachers in this school was Camille Saint-Saens. Later Fore some time teaching there. In 1870, with the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War, Fauré enlisted in the Army and participated in the defense of Paris. Then, together with the Institute of Church Music (School Niedermayer) Faure went to Switzerland. Returning after the suppression of the Paris Commune, Faure was appointed assistant organist and choirmaster at the church of Saint-Sulpice, and in 1874 went to work in the church of St. Magdalene, where he was assistant to Saint-Saens; In 1877 Saint-Saëns retired and Fore took place choirmaster in this famous Parisian cathedral. After lasting several years failed romance with Marianne Viardot in 1883 Fauré married Marie Fremaux, the daughter of the sculptor E.Freme. They had two sons, of whom the elder, Emmanuel, has become well-known expert on the biology of the sea, and the youngest, Philip - known writer.

In 1898 Faure visited London, where he conducted his music for the play by M. Maeterlinck Pelleas et Melisande, and in the play, staged by Forbes-Robertson. In 1896, Foret became a professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire (after Zh.Massne), and in 1905 - her director. By the end of his life Faure lost his hearing; he resigned as director in 1920 and lived in modest retirement, devoting himself exclusively to composition.

Faure - the largest in France the author of romances, which about a hundred of his heritage, and the most interesting poems written in Leconte de Lisle, Verlaine and Charles Van LERBERG. He also wrote an excellent piano music. His early chamber music works are distinguished by innovation, superior innovation S. Frank; Later the same chamber opuses seventy Faure can be considered by analogy with the last quartets of Beethoven. Faure Requiem also owns (1886), an essay, full of sincere faith and deep humanity and opera Penelope (Penelope, premiered in Monte Carlo in 1913), an essay postvagnerianskoe shape, marked, however, always characteristic of Faure elegance texture. Fauré died in Paris on November 4, 1924.