Gabriel Faure
Pavane Op.50
This web page and lesson created by: Joe Gehring - West Chester University


We will explore 6 aspects of the Pavane:
Rhythm
Melody
Form
Expressive Elements
The Work
The Composer
Rhythm:
Theme A (pictured below) uses three rhythm building blocks. See if you can find these in the melodic example:
Quarter note tied to a dotted eighth note and sixteenth note
Two eight notes
Whole note

This melodic rhythm is played with a simple eighth note accompaniment pattern that is shaped like this:

 O O O
 O O O O O O
O O O O etc..



Melody:
This is the first melody that we hear in Pavane. Therefore, we label it as Theme A. Use the interactive call chart below to listen to each melody. Listen to how they all use the basic rhythm building blocks. Theme A1 has the exact same rhythm, but the pitches are different.
Form:

The following is an interactive call chart to be used while listening to the entire piece. This chart explains when each theme appears throughout the piece. Click on individual themes to hear them extracted from the piece. Compare theme A and A1. In what ways is theme B different?

Call #
Measure #
Description
1
2
Theme A
2
6
Theme A1
3
10
Theme A
4
14
Theme A1
5
18
Theme B
6
27
Theme A
7
31
Theme A1
8
35
Theme A
9
39
Theme A1
10
43
Theme C
11
47
Theme C
12
51
Theme C
13
55
Theme C
14
60
Theme B
15
69
Theme A
16
73
Theme A1
17
77
Theme A
18
81
Theme A2
19
88
Coda
20
95
Extended Coda

The Work

After you have listen to the themes individually, you are now ready for the entire work.
Click here to listen to the complete Pavane: FPAVANE.MID
When listening to the work, try to describe what you are hearing. Is it fast, slow, loud, or soft?
Follow along with the call chart. Notice when each oe several themes return.
The composer Ravel wrote a Pavane also. He was inspired Faure's work.

The Composer

________Timeline___________

1845 - Gabriel Faure - Born on May 12, 1845 in southern France
1850 - Begins first music lesson
1861 - Studies piano with Camille Saint-Saens
1883 - Marries Marie Fremiet
1886 - Faure composes Pavane
1887 - Count Robert de Montesquiou's text was added to Pavane
1888 - The first performance of the Pavane by the Société Nationale de musique in Paris
1896 - Becomes professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory
1903 - First signs of hearing loss
1905 - Becomes director of the Paris Conservatory
1924 - Dies at age 79 from pneumonia

TEST
Click here to take the test: mctest.html
Be sure to review all the information above first.

Lesson Plan for Teachers:

National Standards: Music Grades 5-8
 2.A Performing on at least one instrument
 5.A,C Reading and identifying music notation
 6.A,C Listening to and describing music

Behavioral Objectives:
 Students will speak rhythm of theme A
 Students will play rhythms on instruments
 Students will perform with the recording

Materials:
 recording of Faure's Pavane, rhythm sticks, hand drums, maracas, triangle

Outline:
 (to be taught after students are familiar with form and have reviewed the call chart)
 1. T re-introduces Faure's Pavane
 2. T shows rhythm building blocks (see above). S clap
 3. T shows rhythm of Theme A. S clap
 4. T has S stand and form a circle
 5. T says speech pattern with body score (see charts below). S echo
 6. T plays recording as S walk steady beat and do body score
 7. T draws attention to accompaniment rhythm, having S do accomp. body score
 8. T plays music again with S in two circles. Outside circle does theme body score as inside circle does accompaniment body score.
 9. T has S sit down where they are, handing out rhythm sticks to outside circle (melody) and hand drums, maracas, and triangles to inside circle.
 10. S substitute body score with instruments
 11. T plays recording. S perform


Speech patterns for theme A and A1:

 Ga- bri-el Fau-re wrote this Pa-vane which is a type of cour-tly dance.
 But we will not learn the dance steps now just the rhy-thm and me-lo-dy

Body score for theme A:

Quarter note tied to dotted eighth note = clap
sixteenth note = snap
eighth notes = pat on legs - left to right

Body score for accompaniment:


Head O
Shoulder O O
Waist O O

Then, "head" is replaced with triangle, "shoulders" are replaced with maracas, and "waist" is replaced with hand drum.
The melody is then played with rhythm sticks on the floor.