Shylock: Incidental Music, Op. 57: No. 5, Nocturne Cover Image

Shylock: Incidental Music, Op. 57: No. 5, Nocturne: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score & Parts

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Shylock: Incidental Music, Op. 57: No. 5, Nocturne Cover Image
Shylock: Incidental Music, Op. 57: No. 5, Nocturne: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score & Parts

Shylock: Incidental Music, Op. 57: No. 5, Nocturne: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score & Parts

By Gabriel-Urbain Faure

Item: 36-A103390
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Shylock: Incidental Music, Op. 57: No. 5, Nocturne: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score

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Description
In 1889, GABRIEL FAURÉ was asked to compose incidental music for a new play titled SHYLOCK to be presented at the Théâtre de l'Odéon in Paris, an adaptation of Edmond Haraucourt of Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. Following the December 17, 1889, opening night, the play and music continued for a full 56 performances, an impressive number for that theater and a credit to Fauré's musical contribution. Following the use of the incidental music, he reduced the number of pieces from nine to six, making a suite. The highlight of both the incidental music and the suite is NOCTURNE. Charles Koechlin wrote of it: "As for the Nocturne for strings alone, it is impossible to place this music, so profound and universally human is it. The intense tenderness of night here revealed was one of the most beautiful of Faure's inspirations." Reprint edition. String count of 8-8-5-5-5 included in the set.

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 659859283579
SKU: 36-A103390
Instrumentation: String Orchestra (8-8-5-5-5 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Gabriel-Urbain Faure

Gabriel Fauré (1845, 1924) stands apart among French composers for his gift with intimate, subtle expression. His harmonic language, marked by unexpected chromatic turns and suspended resolutions, shaped an entire generation of 20th-century composers. Fauré wrote across all genres, but his chamber and orchestral works reveal a composer who privileged nuance over grandeur, a sensibility that made him as comfortable writing for the stage as for the concert hall.

By 1889, when he accepted the commission for Shylock, Fauré was already a master of orchestration. He understood how to write for strings with a sophistication that went beyond display, achieving emotional depth through restraint. This skill becomes nowhere more apparent than in the Nocturne, a piece that continues to demonstrate why Fauré's music endures in the repertoire.

Why we love this

Directors return to this Nocturne because it delivers genuine substance without technical excess. The piece sits at a moment where romantic string writing becomes modern; Koechlin's assessment remains accurate. You get a work that strengthens your ensemble's ability to shape long phrases and balance solo voices within full texture, all while offering audiences something genuinely moving.

What to expect

A quiet conversation at twilight. The harmonic language unfolds gently, moving through unexpected chords that feel both surprising and exactly right. There is tenderness here, but also a searching quality, beauty that doesn't resolve into certainty, but instead asks the listener to sit with complexity and emotion left open.

Who it's for

Advanced high school and college orchestras, and community groups with strong string sections. The part distribution (8-8-5-5-5) works well for ensembles that can support divided voices without losing cohesion. Directors seeking a piece that demonstrates mature musicianship without demanding virtuosity.

How to get the most out of it

  • Let the opening cello entrance establish the emotional ground; the entire piece rests on its warmth and unhurried pacing.
  • Balance the solo lines (whether violin or cello) so they float above rather than sit inside the harmony; Fauré expects clarity of voice.
  • Attend to the harmonic shifts, which often arrive quietly. These moments of reharmonization are what give the piece its depth.
  • Shape the cadential passages by softening the approach; the resolution should feel inevitable, not prepared.

How to use it

Program this as a palate-cleansing centerpiece between heavier works, or use it to open a concert and establish an intimate atmosphere. It pairs naturally with other late 19th-century French string music, or can stand alone as the emotional highlight of a shorter all-strings concert.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining long, cantabile phrases across multiple measures without vibrato collapse
  • Balancing subdivided sections (8-8-5-5-5) so harmonic voices blend rather than blend into anonymity
  • Responding to subtle harmonic inflection and functional ambiguity in the harmony
  • Creating transparency in a full texture while maintaining warm, connected tone

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