To conclude our Belle Époque Festival, join us for an evening reminiscent of the magical one in Versailles in June 1908 when the twinned themes of Venice and Versailles came together in celebration Gabriel Fauré who was appointed Director of the Conservatoire de Paris a few years ago in 1905. The magnificent gardens of Versailles were the setting of this event, which included an orchestral performance of Fauré's Pavane, poetry, and al fresco fine dining before the guests embarked upon a fleet of Venetian-style gondolas. An hidden orchestra played music including excerpts from Fauré's Shylock, followed by Reynaldo Hahn singing on his barque with a piano, as it floated down the canal.
In our concert, we hear a wonderful selection of songs by Fauré and Hahn, including a song cycle on Venice by each composer. We also hear the Versailles pieces from Hahn's rarely performed collection of piano works, Le rossignol éperdu. We end with Hahn's most well-known song today, À Chloris.
