Gabriel Fauré (1845 ? 1924):
Apres un Reve
Original Key/Recorded Key: C Minor
Pianist: Daniel Michalak
Gabriel Fauré occupies an interesting niche in the transition of French music from the late-Romantic to Impressionism. As a student of Saint-Saëns, Fauré inherited the traditions of 19th century French music, but some of the harmonic novelty of Fauré?s earlier works shocked his more conservative teacher. He remained the most advanced French composer until the appearance of Debussy?s Pelléas et Mélisande. Fauré eventually succeeded Massenet as professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire (a post he was originally rejected for because the director thought him too ?revolutionary?), and became the inspiration for a new generation of composers, Ravel among them. Today, it may be hard to hear his music as that of a revolutionary: Fauré?s music is the art of lyricism, not drama, with a sense of restraint that creates an inherent intimacy of expression. Apres un reve is one of Faure?s earliest songs, and undoubtedly his most popular. The text is a translation of an anonymous Italian poem.
Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image
In a sleep that charmed your image
Je revais le bonheur, ardent mirage;
I dreamed the happiness, ardent mirage;
Tes yeux étaient plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore.
Your eyes were more soft, your voice pure and sonorous.
Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l'aurore;
You shone like a sky lit up by the dawn;
Tu m'appelais, et je quittais la terre
You me called, and I left the earth
Pour m'enfuir avec toi vers la lumiere;
To escape with you to the light;
Les cieux pour nous entr'ouvraient leurs nues,
The heavens for us parted their clouds,
Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entrevues. . .
Splendors unknown, flashes divine caught sight of. . .
Hélas! Hélas, triste réveil des songes!
Alas! Alas, sad awakening from dreams!
Je t'appelle, ô nuit, rends-moi tes mensonges;
I you call, oh night, give back to me your lies;
Reviens, reviens radieuse,
Return, return radiant (one),
Reviens, ô nuit mysterieuse!
Return, oh night mysterious!