Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924): Pavane, Op. 50, 1887 I have found this anonymous Japanese arrangement for mandolin orchestra at the now-defunct Nakano site. The original is in the key of F# minor, but the arranger has transposed it to E minor which sits a lot nicer on mandolin. The arrangement is in five parts (mandolins 1+2, mandola, mandocello, guitar), intended for orchestra and largely following Fauré's own orchestral arrangement. I'm playing each part on one instrument, rather than a whole orchestral section, so it becomes a mandolin quintet. The mandocello part is entirely in the octave mandolin range, except for a couple of low E notes in the concluding chords which I have lifted by an octave. Mandolins 1+2: 1915 Luigi Embergher Mandola: 1925 Zimmermann waldzither Mandocello: Mid-Missouri M-111 Guitar: Ozark tenor guitar Going with the flavour of the piece, I have used paintings and other images from Belle Epoque Paris to make up a Youtube video: Martin
Very very beautiful Martin! You definitely found your own style of playing and mixing...
Almost ten years ago, you already had the ability to sound like a mandolin orchestra, Martin, very nice recording. What always bothered me a bit with the Pavane were the fast passages at about 2:50, so I was glad to find a simplified version at Edition 49.
That's a lovely setting, Christian -- very atmospheric! Did you add some reverb for that depth of tone? I like the arrangement I used for my 2013 recording, but it was a bit ambitious for my home recording setup. The section around 2:50 you mention in particular is not entirely under control... I did record a much simpler version a few years later, in 2019. No idea why I didn't post it to SAW -- there is a thread in the classical section of the main forum here. You clearly saw this at the time, as you posted an earlier recording you made in response... For my second setting, I took bits from several different duet versions I found on Musescore and made this version for two mandolins from them: Sheet music 1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin (x2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSMCKeJTYgA Martin
This is such a lovely piece. Really ambitious to try it on the mandolin - I'm not sure I would have dared, but both versions seem to work really well (haven't yet listened to Martin's first version). Great stuff.
