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In a letter to his wife, French composer Gabriel Fauré talks about the creative process involved in writing Pavane: 

"While I was thinking about a thousand different things of no importance whatsoever, a kind of rhythmical theme in the style of a Spanish dance took form in my brain.... This theme developed by itself, became harmonized in different ways, changed and modulated; in effect, it germinated by itself."

Written during the summer of 1887, it received its first performance in Paris a year later. Dedicated to Countess Greffulhe, a patron of Parisian society of the time, it was originally written for orchestra alone, but chorus parts were added to a rather trivial text written by the Countess' cousin. It is not clear how happy Fauré was at the addition of the chorus; despite praising it in a letter to his patron, his politeness may have been over-riding his musical judgment! In any case, it is rarely performed with the chorus nowadays.

Pavane means "peacock's strut" and was a popular dance of the Renaissance - a processional in which the dancers strutted around the dance floor in a stately and elegant manner.

What do you get when you download this music?

• a full score (showing the full ensemble in concert pitch);
• a "clean" copy (ie. no choreography) of the solo handbell part; 
• a copy of the solo handbell part with suggested choreography written in;
• a flute part;
• a clarinet part in A;
• a clarinet part in B-flat;
• a "clean" (ie. no fingerings written in) guitar part (a part with fingerings is coming soon - purchasers will receive this at no additional charge!);
• a pizzicato cello part;
• a cross-strung harp part;
• a piano score; and
• a copy of our License Terms.