These exquisite pieces are among many Fauré works which have long puzzled pianists with illogical-seeming metronome markings. The issue is addressed comprehensively in this edition, presenting the performer with all the relevant narratives. Roy Howat also chronicles Fauré's struggles in trying to prevent his publisher from adding superfluous titles to the pieces.

This collection of short works for piano provides an ideal introduction to Fauré's music for the intermediate player. Although at times the stretch of an adult hand is called for, the technical demands on the pianist are far less than those required to master his larger works, such as the Nocturnes and Barcarolles. Roy Howat has consulted all the appropriate sources and, asa result, has been able to correct the errorsand misprints in previous editions of the Pièces brèves. Besides their straight- forward musical beauty, the 'Pièces brèves' are remarkable for their blend of coherence and diversity. Spanning up to forty years of Fauré's composing life, they reflect the manyfacets of his long composing career.

Roy Howat