This collection of short works for piano provides an ideal introduction to Faure's music for the intermediate player. Although at times the stretch of an adult hand is called for, the technical demands on the pianist are far less than those required to master his larger works, such as the Nocturnes and Barcarolles. Roy Howat has consulted all the appropriate sources and, asa result, has been able to correct the errorsand misprints in previous editions of the Pieces breves. Besides their straight- forward musical beauty, the 'Pieces breves' are remarkable for their blend of coherence and diversity. Spanning up to forty years of Faure's composing life, they reflect the manyfacets of his long composing career. Roy Howat