Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)

Listen to his work and you'd think he was the perfect Parisian gentleman. Faur退's music is the epitome of charm, of a Gallic gentleman's reserve. There's nothing offensive, only page after page of utter beauty and ravishing melody. But look into his eyes and you get hints of another story: those dark orbs of a deep-thinking southerner, a man who always struggled for recognition, but who never lost the ability to seduce a lady.

This week Donald Macleod is in Paris to follow Faur退's footsteps, and to probe this most enigmatic of personalities. From the start, Faur退 is an outsider. Sent by his family to study at a school for gifted youngsters, the composer quickly decides that the traditional route is not for him. Instead of heading to the conservatoire, dogged by its reputation for fustiness, he falls in with the world of aristocratic music-making. And at the former home of singer Pauline Viardot, Donald Macleod rediscovers something of the allure for Faur退, not just musical opportunities but also the attraction of a highly cultured lady in the form of Viardot's daughter.

We soon discover that this is a template for the composer's life. A few blocks away we take a look inside one of the city's stunning former musical salons. Here, Winnaretta Singer, daughter of the sewing machine king, hosted the likes of Marcel Proust and Georges Sand. Faur退 too was a regular, and even embarked on a dramatic work for the salon with legendary writer Paul Verlaine. It was to be ill-fated though: Verlaine succumbed spectacularly to drink and his plots became so off-the-wall that Faur退 had to abandon his project.

There are more refined moments too. In the ever-controversial church of La Madeleine, at once a tribute to the revolution and a souped-up banking hall cum railway station, we find the inspiration of Faur退's most famous work, the Requiem, in the death of a local architect, the passing of the composer's own father, and the astounding acoustics of the building itself.

But it's in the equally echoey hallways of the Paris Conservatoire buildings where we get closest to the real Faur退. It took an internal scandal before they would let him in, but here at last Faur退 gets a chance to cement his reputation as a member of the French establishment as director of the institution. Here we find the very room where he had his office, and (in the Salle Faur退) the stage where he would take performance exams, and even an ante-room solely for students to pull themselves together or recover their shattered composure before and after playing to the great man.

Donald Macleod begins his week in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, at Passy Cemetery, where Faur退 is buried with family members, friends, and leading cultural figures. Together with writer Jessica Duchen he charts the complex web of personalities in the composer's early life, including a formative bond with the musician Camille Saint-Sa뀀ns which at times seemingly bordered on the sexual.

Donald Macleod charts the complex web of personalities in Faure's early life.

Donald Macleod follows Faure's work at the controversial Parisian church of La Madeleine.

Donald Macleod visits the Parisian salons to learn more about the life of Faure.

Donald Macleod explores how Faure finally attained the job he had always sought.

Donald Macleod discusses Faure's visit to a village fete in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Take lots of handkerchiefs, because you will cry a great deal! Also take a sedative, because you will be exalted to the point of delirium!' - Faur退's advice to anyone intending to take a trip to Bayreuth, the shrine of Wagnerian music-drama. In time, Faur退's love of Wagner abated somewhat, but that did nothing to diminish his desire to write an opera of his own - if only he could find a collaborator.

Berceuse (Dolly, Op 56)

Eric Le Sage, Alexandre Tharaud, piano duet

Souvenirs de Bayreuth, Op posth

Caligula - incidental music, Op 52

Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse

Michel Plasson, conductor

Spleen' (4 Songs, Op 51)

G退rard Souzay, baritone

Dalton Baldwin, piano

La Rose' (4 Songs, Op 51)

Elly Ameling, soprano

Shylock (incidental music) - Suite, Op 57

Producer: Chris Barstow.

How, inspired by his passion for Wagner, Faure began his long search for a good libretto.

A 25,000-franc commission to create a music drama for the inauguration of a wealthy heiress's magnificent new music room, with one of the century's most celebrated poets as your librettist - what could possibly go wrong? In the event, the project barely got off the starting-blocks. Despite the good offices of the Princesse de Polignac - a.k.a. Winnaretta Singer, heiress to the sewing-machine fortune - Faur退 couldn't even agree on a subject with the eminent but ailing Paul Verlaine. So no collaboration, but Faur退 did go on to set some of Verlaine's poetry to music - his song-cycle La bonne chanson, which charts the course of a perfect, immutable love, being a marvellous example. Love of the doomed, catastrophic kind was the subject-matter of Maurice Maeterlinck's play Pell退as et M退lisande, and it drew from Faur退 some of his most touching music, commissioned for a London production in 1898.

S退r退nade du Bourgeois Gentilhomme ('Je languis nuit et jour')

G退rard Souzay, baritone

Dalton Baldwin, piano

La bonne chanson, Op 61

Karine Deshayes, mezzo-soprano

Ensemble Contraste

Fantaisie for flute and piano, Op 79

Michel Debost, flute

Jean-Philippe Collard, piano

P退lleas et M退lisande - Suite, Op 80

Jill Gomez, soprano

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

David Zinman, conductor

Producer: Chris Barstow.

Including a failed collaboration, a professorship and Faure making his mark in London.

When Faur退 received his first commission for an opera, to be produced in the summer of 1900, it must have felt long overdue - he'd been on the lookout for a suitable libretto for the previous couple of decades. The invitation came not from a conventional opera house but from the town of B退ziers, in the Languedoc, famous for bullfights and wine but with no reputation, thus far, for music-drama. A local bigwig had built an enormous Roman-style amphitheatre there, with the intention of staging open-air operas on themes of classical antiquity to audiences of 10,000. Faur退's lyric tragedy Prom退th退e, about the Titan who brought fire to mankind, was a huge success. Fire was kindled offstage too, when the 55-year-old Faur退 met Marguerite Hasselmans, the 24-year-old daughter of one of his Paris Conservatoire colleagues. A relationship ignited which was to stay alight until Faur退's own flame was extinguished a quarter of a century later. While he was working on Prom退th退e, Faur退 also oversaw the rescoring of his famous Requiem for full orchestra - the version in which it's usually heard today, and which, in time, provided the soundtrack to his own funeral.

Capriccio in E flat (8 pi耀ces br耀ves, Op 84)

Jean-Philippe Collard, piano

Prom退th退e (Act 3, Prelude and Chorus of the Oceanides)

Choeur Matrise Gabriel Faur退

Orchestre National de l'Op退ra de Monte-Carlo

Roger Norrington, conductor

Ballade, Op 19 (version for piano and orchestra)

Valerie Tryon, piano

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Jac Van Steen, conductor

Requiem, Op 48 - version for full orch

(Introit, Kyrie, Sanctus, Pie Jesu, Agnus Dei, In Paradisum)

Johannette Zomer, soprano

La Chapelle Royale

Collegium Vocale Gent

Orchestre des Champs-ɀlys退es

Philippe Herreweghe, conductor

Producer: Chris Barstow.

With Faure's first stab at opera, his starting an affair and the rescoring of his Requiem.

Faur退's operatic ambitions dated back to his early 30s, but it was not till his mid-60s that opportunity finally knocked and presented him with the young playwright Ren退 Fauchois, who would give him the means to turn his dream into reality. Fauchois had just finished a piece called P退n退lope about the relentlessly faithful wife of the hero Ulysses, who in the days before SatNav took 10 years to reach home after the Trojan War. Perhaps Faur退 saw himself as a kind of musical Ulysses, but for whatever reason, the scenario stimulated his creative juices for the five years it took him to complete the opera - a magnificent and, these days, sadly neglected work. Aside from Penelope, another important woman in Faur退's life at this time was Marguerite Long - the pianist who became his greatest champion. As Director of the Paris Conservatoire, Faur退 denied her the position of Professor of Piano (Alfred Cortot got the job), but despite any personal animosity she may have felt, long retained a lifelong loyalty to his music.

Impromptu No 5 in F sharp minor, Op 102

Marguerite Long, piano

P退n退lope; Act 1 scenes 7-10

Jessye Norman, soprano (P退n退lope)

Philippe Huttenlocher, baritone (Eurymaque)

G退rard Friedmann, tenor (L退od耀s)

Jean Dupouy, tenor (Antinoüs)

Alain Vanzo, tenor (Ulysse)

Jocelyne Taillon, mezzo-soprano (Eurycl退e)

Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo

Charles Dutoit, conductor

Nocturne No 6 in D flat, Op 63

P退n退lope (Act 2, scene 2)

Jessye Norman, soprano (Penelope)

Jos退 van Dam, bass (Eumaeus)

Preludes, Op 103 (No 2 in C sharp minor; No 6 in E flat minor; No 4 in F)

Kathryn Stott, piano

Producer: Chris Barstow.

How, after years of waiting, Faure was granted his heart's desire: a suitable libretto.

After the success of his opera P退n退lope, Faur退 was keen to write another - but it was not to be. The Great War intervened and for the time being, costly new productions were out of the question. P退n退lope would be Faur退's last venture onto the operatic stage, although he did at least live to see it revived, at the Op退ra-Comique in Paris - see it rather than hear it, as by now his deafness was total, forcing him to resign his directorship of the Paris Conservatoire. There was one last commission for the stage - a rather curious one from the fairy-tale principality of Monaco, for a lavish 'divertissement' inspired by the F退tes galantes poetry of Verlaine - Masques et bergamasques. It was a great success, underlining Faur退's hard-won status in French artistic life - further underlined when he was made a 'Grand Officier' of the Legion of Honour, a distinction rarely accorded to musicians. On the debit side of the balance, Faur退 became seriously ill in the flu pandemic that swept Europe after the war; and he 'caught a cold' financially speaking when the devaluation of the franc shrunk his pension. Only the help of American friends, including the painter John Singer Sargent, saved him from penury. In gratitude, Faur退 sent Sargent the manuscript of his 2nd Piano Quintet, a magnificent flowering of the composer's final years.

Masques et bergamasques - suite Op 112

Seattle Symphony

Ludovic Morlot, conductor

Piano Quintet No 2 in C minor, Op 115

Jean-Philippe Collard, piano

Quatuor Parrenin

Je me suis embarqu退' (L'horizon chim退rique, Op 118)

G退rard Souzay, baritone

Dalton Baldwin, piano

Producer: Chris Barstow.

Including whimsy, influenza, a close shave with bankruptcy and a late, great chamber work.

Gabriel Faur钀s story begins during the second half of the 19th century, when the musical world was dominated by the heavily romantic voices of composers like Wagner, Brahms and Liszt. Faur退 became a key protagonist in a musical revolution that opened audiences' ears to new modes of expression - modern, refined and utterly French. As a composer, and as a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, he left a huge legacy on the music of the twentieth century. This week Donald Macleod explores some of the many turning points in Faur钀s career, and how those events affected his life and his art.

Gabriel Faur退 was invited to meet the legendary singer Pauline Viardot. He became a regular attendee at Viardot's fashionable salon, where the young composer encountered other musicians and also writers such as Gustave Flaubert, George Sand and Ivan Turgenev. Viardot was very taken with Faur退 and she advised him to give up writing chamber music and focus on opera. Faur退 fell in love with Viardot's youngest daughter, Marianne, and eventually proposed to her. Marianne broke off their engagement, which some have suggested was the reason for Faur退 developing a reputation as a ‘Don Juan'.

Tarentelle, `Aux cieux la lune monte et luit` Op 10 No 2

Elly Ameling, soprano

Dalton Baldwin, piano

Violin Sonata No 1 in A, Op 13

Joshua Bell, violin

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

ɀl退gie in C minor, Op 24

Antonine Lederlin, cello

Basel Symphony Orchestra

Ivor Bolton, conductor

Berceuse, Op 16

Alex Schacher, violin

Apr耀s un rꀀve, Op 7 No 1

Automne, Op 18 No 3

Po耀me d'un jour, Op 21 No 1-3

Barbara Hendricks, soprano

Michel Dalberto, piano

Donald Macleod follows Faure into the household of opera singer Pauline Viardot.

Gabriel Faur钀s story begins during the second half of the 19th century, when the musical world was dominated by the heavily romantic voices of composers like Wagner, Brahms and Liszt. Faur退 became a key protagonist in a musical revolution that opened audiences' ears to new modes of expression - modern, refined and utterly French. As a composer, and as a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, he left a huge legacy on the music of the 20th century. This week Donald Macleod explores some of the many turning points in Faur钀s career, and how those events affected his life and his art.

Gabriel Faur退 was often asked by the megastar singer, Pauline Viardot, to turn his attention to opera, and he set off to experience the greatest operas of his day. He commented that Wagner's music made him ‘weary with admiration' but he never became a total devotee of the Wagner cult. In 1883, Faur退 married to Marie Fremiet. Their liaison seems to have begun by Faur退 pulling Marie's name out of a hat! Their life quickly settled into a comfortable routine but it soon must have been obvious to Marie that she would have to play a subsidiary role in her husband's world.

Gabriel Faur退 and Andr退 Messager

Souvenirs de Bayreuth

Jean-Philippe Collard, piano

Bruno Rigutto, piano

Piano Quartet No 1 in C minor, Op 15

Hermitage String Trio

Kathryn Stott, piano

Ballade in F sharp, Op 19

Les roses d'lspahan, Op 39 No 4

Olga Peretyatko, soprano

Basel Symphony Orchestra

Ivor Bolton, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Wales

Donald Macleod looks into Faure's married life and his encounters with Wagner's music.

Gabriel Faur钀s story begins during the second half of the 19th century, when the musical world was dominated by the heavily romantic voices of composers like Wagner, Brahms and Liszt. Faur退 became a key protagonist in a musical revolution that opened audiences' ears to new modes of expression - modern, refined and utterly French. As a composer, and as a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, he left a huge legacy on the music of the 20th century. This week Donald Macleod explores some of the many turning points in Faur钀s career, and how those events affected his life and his art.

During the mid to late 1880s, Gabriel Faur退 found himself welcomed into the social circles of high society. He dedicated his famous Pavane to one of the pre-eminent Parisian hostesses, Elizabeth, the Countess Greffulhe. The poet and society figure, Count Robert de Montesquiou, introduced Faur退 to the poetry of Verlaine. Composer and poet then met at the home of Princess Edmond de Polignac, whose glittering salons brought together many of the leading figures in French culture, like Diaghilev and Proust, with wealthy and influential citizens. During this heady time of networking, Faur退 composed one of his most famous works, his Requiem. When it was first heard at the Madeleine church where Faur退 worked, the clergy were not pleased at all.

Papillon, Op 77

Andreas Brantelid, cello

Bengt Forsberg, piano

Pavane, Op 50

City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor

Clair de lune, Op 46 No 2

Spleen Op 51 No 3

Mandoline, Op 58 No 1

Philippe Jaroussky, countertenor

J退r䀀me Ducros, piano

Requiem, Op 48

Sylvia McNair, soprano

Thomas Allen, baritone

John Birch, organ

Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chorus and Orchestra

Sir Neville Marriner, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Wales

Donald Macleod finds Faure navigating Parisian high society.

Gabriel Faur钀s story begins during the second half of the 19th century, when the musical world was dominated by the heavily romantic voices of composers like Wagner, Brahms and Liszt. Faur退 became a key protagonist in a musical revolution that opened audiences' ears to new modes of expression - modern, refined and utterly French. As a composer, and as a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, he left a huge legacy on the music of the 20th century. This week Donald Macleod explores some of the many turning points in Faur钀s career, and how those events affected his life and his art.

One thing seemed to be eluding Faur退: proper recognition by the musical establishment in France. His name was put forward to be considered for the post of Professor of Composition at the Paris Conservatoire but the Director, Ambroise Thomas, declared, `Never! If he's appointed, I'll resign.` However, once Dubois took over as Director, Faur退 was appointed to the staff of the conservatoire, where he had a significant impact upon future generations. It was during this same period, the decade of the 1890s, that Faur退 started to visit the United Kingdom.

Le parfum imp退rissable, Op 76 No 1

Karine Deshayes, mezzo soprano

Orchestre de l'Opera de Rouen Haute-Normandie

Oswald Sallaberger, conductor

Dolly Suite, Op 56

Steven Osborne, piano

Paul Lewis, piano

Fantaisie, Op 79

Lisa Friend, flute

Rohan de Silva, piano

Pell退as et M退lisande, Op 80

Olga Peretyatko, soprano

Basel Symphony Orchestra

Ivor Bolton, conductor

Nocturne No 6 in D flat, Op 63

Angela Hewitt, piano

Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Wales

Donald Macleod follows Faure's struggles to join the Paris Conservatoire.

Fauré is recognised at last by the Parisian musical establishment. Presented by Donald Macleod.

Gabriel Faur钀s story begins during the second half of the 19th century, when the musical world was dominated by the heavily romantic voices of composers like Wagner, Brahms and Liszt. Faur退 became a key protagonist in a musical revolution that opened audiences' ears to new modes of expression - modern, refined and utterly French. As a composer, and as a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, he left a huge legacy on the music of the 20th century. This week Donald Macleod explores some of the many turning points in Faur钀s career, and how those events affected his life and his art.

The year 1905 began a period of around 15 years when Gabriel Faur退 held the post of Director of the Paris Conservatoire. He launched a series of significant reforms to eliminate the bureaucracy, broaden the repertoire studied, and appointed more progressive musicians to the staff including Debussy and Dukas. These changes were not received well by all the staff, and Faur退 earned himself the name of Robespierre. With his attention firmly on his role as director, this left little time for composing, although it was a period he at last composed an opera, P退n退lope, which was hailed by the Parisian critics as a masterpiece.

Cantique de Jean Racine, Op 11

City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor

Le Chanson d'Ȁve, Op 96 No's 1-5

Dawn Upshaw, soprano

Gilbert Kalish, piano

P退n退lope (Prelude)

Violin Sonata No 2 in E minor, Op 108 (Andante)

Pierre Amoyal, violin

Anne Queff退lec, piano

Masques et bergamasques, Op 112

Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna

Bertrand de Billy, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Wales

Faure brings reform and upset to France's leading music school. With Donald Macleod.