Apres un reve: String Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

Apres un reve gives string orchestras access to one of the Romantic era's most singable, emotionally direct melodies without the technical demands of advanced repertoire. Thom Sharp's arrangement preserves Faure's impressionistic voice while distributing the lyrical material across your sections in ways that keep every player engaged and connected to the phrase.

Apres un reve breathes with quiet longing and gentle warmth. The piece unfolds like a memory revisited, with soaring melodies supported by rich, flowing harmonies that shift subtly beneath the surface, creating an impressionistic soundworld that feels both intimate and expansive.

String orchestras at the Grade 3 level seeking repertoire that sounds far more advanced than its technical demands. Directors building programs around French Romantic literature or looking for pieces that develop lyrical ensemble sound will find this especially rewarding.

• Shape the main melody with a gentle, singing tone; imagine the original vocal line even when playing accompaniment figures, so each section supports rather than accompanies.
• Balance the treble and lower voices carefully during the harmonic transitions. These shifts are subtle and require attentive listening across the ensemble to avoid muddiness.
• Allow rubato in the quieter passages without losing rhythmic cohesion; this is impressionistic writing, not strictly metered, so breathe together and trust your conductor's pulse.
• Pay close attention to dynamic shaping within phrases. Faure's harmonies ask for gradual swells and releases rather than sudden changes.

This arrangement sits naturally on a concert exploring 19th-century string writing or impressionist aesthetics. Its accessibility makes it an ideal opener or closing work on a mixed program, and it pairs well with contemporary pieces that share similar textural sensibilities.

• Sustained vibrato and tone control in lyrical passages
• Balance and blend within string choir textures
• Phrase shaping with rubato and flexible phrasing
• Reading dynamic and harmonic color shifts
• Ensemble listening across multiple melodic lines