Gabriel Fauré: Sicilienne Op. 78. Nice recital encore piece. It is very moody with a light touch of impressionism and poignant mode mixture. This piece will add a surprising element to your concert and demonstrate the depth of your musical sensitivity.

Significant Aspects of Faure's Sicilienne
Gabriel Fauré's Sicilienne, Op. 78 is significant due to its history, influence, and musical characteristics.

Historical Significance
The piece was initially composed in 1893 as part of incidental music for a theatrical production that was later abandoned. Fauré reused the Sicilienne in 1898 when he wrote incidental music for the English translation of Maeterlinck's play Pelléas et Mélisande. This piece was later extracted and formed into an orchestral suite for concerts, known as the Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, Op. 80.

Influence and Popularity
Fauré's harmonic richness and melodic innovations in the Sicilienne exerted a powerful influence on other composers. The Sicilienne is the most famous piece from the Pelléas et Mélisande Suite and is frequently played by significant orchestras today.

Musical Characteristics
The piece is known for its conversational style for both cello and piano, and it exhibits chromatic movement to evoke a Renaissance aesthetic with the Sicilienne dance. It is also more complex than the typical song in terms of chords and melody, with above-average scores in chord and melodic complexity. In conclusion, Faure's Sicilienne is significant due to its historical background, influence on other composers, and unique musical characteristics.

Dance and Fabric
The term Sicilienne is derived from the French word Sicilienne, which means Sicilian. It is associated with a dance called the Siciliana and a kind of rich poplin fabric. 

Musical Style
 Sicilienne refers to a musical style or genre often included as a movement within more significant pieces of music, starting in the Baroque period. It is associated with a pastoral mood and is often characterized by dotted rhythms that can distinguish it within the broader musical genre of the pastorale.