“Nell” is the first song of Gabriel Fauré’s opus 18 triptych. Based on a poem of the same name by the French Parnassian poet Leconte de Lisle, the song is a moving and joyous declaration of love. Its four stanzas tell of the lover that compares his love-filled heart to the rose, the songs of love to the cooing of doves, the presence of his beloved to the flaming sun, and, above all, his affections will outlast the murmuring of the sea. Fauré’s setting, which appeared in 1878, is a marvelous example of the wealth of expression that can be obtained, through skilled hands, by simple means. In the key of G-flat major, a rippling accompaniment of broken chords is all that is allotted to the piano, save for the few crucial moments it provides a more declamatory bass. This unsophisticated accompaniment leaves the vocalist free to interpret and give full utterance to de Lisle’s lyrics within the confines of the lovely melody which Fauré provides. Yet, this exposure, indeed, presents a great danger to the vocalist, not in terms of difficulty of technique but instead of expression, demanding a precise breath control and keenness and subtly of expression.
When Fauré sought to publish “Nell,” his publisher severely misjudged the piece, perceiving it as only another trite love song and salon piece, and was intent to give it the rather mundane title “Juin.” Fauré raised his objections and pointed out what is particularly obvious, and crucially important to the composition a song, yet often overlooked—that the evocation of summer and its beauty is but mere imagery subordinate to the poet’s love and the object of his affection, Nell.Joseph DuBose
Classical Music | Soprano
Gabriel Fauré
Nell
PlayRecorded on 10/06/2010, uploaded on 02/28/2011
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
“Nell” is the first song of Gabriel Fauré’s opus 18 triptych. Based on a poem of the same name by the French Parnassian poet Leconte de Lisle, the song is a moving and joyous declaration of love. Its four stanzas tell of the lover that compares his love-filled heart to the rose, the songs of love to the cooing of doves, the presence of his beloved to the flaming sun, and, above all, his affections will outlast the murmuring of the sea. Fauré’s setting, which appeared in 1878, is a marvelous example of the wealth of expression that can be obtained, through skilled hands, by simple means. In the key of G-flat major, a rippling accompaniment of broken chords is all that is allotted to the piano, save for the few crucial moments it provides a more declamatory bass. This unsophisticated accompaniment leaves the vocalist free to interpret and give full utterance to de Lisle’s lyrics within the confines of the lovely melody which Fauré provides. Yet, this exposure, indeed, presents a great danger to the vocalist, not in terms of difficulty of technique but instead of expression, demanding a precise breath control and keenness and subtly of expression.
When Fauré sought to publish “Nell,” his publisher severely misjudged the piece, perceiving it as only another trite love song and salon piece, and was intent to give it the rather mundane title “Juin.” Fauré raised his objections and pointed out what is particularly obvious, and crucially important to the composition a song, yet often overlooked—that the evocation of summer and its beauty is but mere imagery subordinate to the poet’s love and the object of his affection, Nell. Joseph DuBose
More music by Gabriel Fauré
Après un rève
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 15
Piano Quartet No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 45
Nocturne in e-flat minor, Op. 33, No. 1
Impromptu No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 34
From Requiem: Hostias
Élégie in C minor Op. 24
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1, Op. 13
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 15
Piano Quintet No. 1 in d minor, Op. 89
Performances by same musician(s)
Heiss mich nicht reden no. 2, from Mignon Lieder, D. 877
Nature, the Gentlest Mother, from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson
Heart, We Will Forget Him, from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson
Going to Heaven!, from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson
Why Do They Shut Me Out of Heaven? from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson
Le colibri
Les papillons
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt, from Mignon Lieder, D. 877
So lasst mich scheinen, from Mignon Lieder, D. 877
Apparition, from Quatre chansons de jeunesse
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