Description

Fauré's 13 Nocturnes represent the most significant collection of piano character pieces in his oeuvre. Though named in the tradition of John Field and Frédéric Chopin, Fauré develops a genre uniquely his own. These are not dreamy nocturnal scenes, but carefully structured, iridescent works that alternate between lyrical elegance and passionate drama. Composed in 1894 while staying with his in-laws, the 6th Nocturne stands out as Fauré's most significant and well-known, with its striking contrasts of tempo, meter, and harmony. In a letter after completing it, Fauré remarked, "Modern piano music that is a little interesting is an extremely rare thing" - an observation that seems to have motivated him to enrich the repertoire with this Nocturne, op. 63.