Fauré, Gabriel - 2 Songs, Op. 4 - Lydia (EbM)

A custom streaming practice/rehearsal piano track for Lydia,
from 2 Songs,
by Gabriel Fauré.
This is the Eb Major listing, F Major is also available.

Gabriel Fauré's exquisite French art song "Lydia" was written when he was around 25 years old, using a poem by Leconte de Lisle as his foundation. He cleverly leans into the title of the poem by utilizing the Lydian mode, raising the fourth scale degree to give the melody a floating and slightly unresolved celestial quality. It stands out as one of his earliest masterworks, shedding the heavier romanticism of the era in favor of the pure, distilled elegance that would eventually define French vocal repertoire.

🎹 Thoughts From the Bench: One of the reasons this is such a great song to work on ensembally is the for both performers to feel the amount of time needed for the breaths. It's not a full luftpause, it's just a little daylight in between phrases to allow the previous thought to finish and gather air for the following. I'm keeping a close eye on the voicing of all my chords to ensure the top line sings right along with you, very duet-like. Those two bar phrase arcs at the ends of each verse can have a little more of that French Romanticism present - lead and soar!