Fauré's Nell from his 3 Songs, Op. 18 has been arranged for viola solo and piano by the world-famous violist Donald McInnes, who held a professorship at the University of Southern California from 1985 to 2014 and is known in virtually every corner of the artistic world for his appearances with major orchestras, recitals, chamber music participation, and numerous master classes.

Nell is the first song from the Op. 18 set by Gabriel Fauré. Like Lydia, it is based off on a poem by Leconte de Lisle. Written in 1878, it features an entrancing melody, rich harmonic texture, and depth of feeling. It also features a quasi-Scottish subsection that includes the poems Jane (set by the young Debussy), Nanny (set by Chausson) and La fille aux cheveux de lin (made into a piano piece by Debussy).

Download and print the score today to gain access to this expertly edited arrangement of Fauré's Nell for viola and piano by Donald McInnes!

Click here to listen to a recording of Donald McInnes performing Fauré's Nell arranged for viola and piano.

Below is the original French text by Leconte de Lisle and the English translation for this song:

Ta rose de pourpre à ton clair soleil,
Ô Juin, étincelle enivrée,
Penche aussi vers moi ta coupe dorée:
Mon coeur à ta rose est pareil.

Sous le mol abri de la feuille ombreuse
Monte un soupir de volupté:
Plus d'un ramier chante au bois écarté.
Ô mon coeur, sa plainte amoureuse.

Que ta perle est douce au ciel parfumé.
Étoile de la nuit pensive!
Mais combien plus douce est la clarté vive
Qui rayonne en mon coeur, en mon coeur charmé!

La chantante mer. Le long du rivage,
Taira son murmure éternel,
Avant qu'en mon coeur, chère amour.
Ô Nell, ne fleurisse plus ton image!


Under your bright sun, oh summer,
your red, red rose sparkles ecstatically.
Lean over me too with your golden cup -
my heart resembles your rose.

Under the shady, sheltering leaves
there rises a sigh of delight.
In the grove there are doves cooing,
singing their love-songs (oh my heart!).

How sweet in the flame-red sky is the pearl,
the star of pensive night!
But how much sweeter is the vivid glow
that shines in my enchanted heart!

The singing sea all along its shores
will end its eternal murmuring
before your image, oh Nell my love,
ceases to bloom in my heart.

English Translation Copyright © by Peter Low