"Sicilienne" from Pelléas et Mélisande

One of Faure's best-loved melodies, the Sicilienne began life in 1893 and found its lasting home in 1898, when Faure wrote incidental music for a London production of Maeterlinck's Pelleas et Melisande. Over a swaying 6/8 lilt and rippling harp, the flute sings a tune at once antique and melancholy. The piece circulates equally in a version for cello and piano, Op. 78 — a specimen of French elegance shaded with sadness.