One of the most gifted composers of the French school, Gabriel Faur#65533; (1845–1924) created distinctive music strikingly original in texture, melody, and harmony. According to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Faur#65533;'s music "reflected French civilization at its most fastidious." This handsome and affordable volume unites two of Faur#65533;'s superb orchestral works in one convenient, authoritative edition. Pell#65533;as et M#65533;lisande, Op. 80, composed in 1898, is a four-movement suite for orchestra written after Faur#65533;'s incidental music for the drama by Maurice Maeterlinck — a tragic tale that later inspired Debussy's opera of the same name. The volume also includes Faur#65533;'s enormously popular Pavane, Op. 50, one of the most performed short orchestral works in the repertoire.