Dolly Opus 56. 4 hands
Gabriel Fauré

The six pieces making up this small suite were composed between 1893 and 1896 and inspired by Hélène Bardac, daughter of a friendly singer. Born in 1892, the girl was nicknamed "Dolly" (little doll) because of her small and delicate silhouette. The numbers, mostly written for his birthday or New Year, reflect the world of the growing child, from lullaby to dance full of temper. But everything was not taken too seriously by Fauré as evidenced by the subtle allusions to his own music and that of other composers. These pieces, which quickly became popular, contain, despite their simple basic structure, many harmonic and rhythmic delicacies characteristic of the French composer - "music for children" which is also perfectly suited to adults.