It is a hauntingly poignant music. It comes up in my mind so often. It was composed for a memoir of a lady Noemi Lalo.
What makes me feel that way? Of course, it is a completely successful piece composed by him itself. Further, I believe there are a few more points which attracts us.
One reason may be the fact that it reflected the social situation when the war had started in Balkan Peninsula which not too long resulted in the WWI. The anxiety and worry before that historical tragedy may be one of the backgrounds for this piece. I have read that Faure was concerned about it somewhere. Their sons might be involved in the war.
His own tragedy of hearing abnormality might be another reason. It has already progressed to a point a composer could hardly endure in common sense. Nevertheless, or rather all the more for it, he has devoted himself to his world. Genuinely from the bottom of his heart without any decorations or unnecessary expressions.
At an old age, we are sometimes captured by an emotion of anger. Anger for what? I don't know. Maybe, it's related with the absurdity our lives are going to end. Maybe, I am too empathetic to this work. But I feel such an emotion is hidden in the unique dissonant harmonies and their move in this piece. We could hear that in the 1st movement of his cello sonata as well. This characteristics may also mean the late romatic music was being replaced to the modern music even without his intention that way.
His nocturnes in young days are expressing something happy and romantic. Such as Nr2, 3, 4, 5 etc. He might be literally in happiness those days. In the last years, he went into the days of discomfort and sorrow. The series of his nocturnes is, I believe, telling how he has lived. The young nocturnes sound like a soothing and relieving music to me.
I am fascinated by the later nocturnes including this 11th now. I feel something reverbing in my mind with them. In the silence at night, this nocturne sounds like a whisper of an old friend to me.
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