Nowhere in Fauré's output are the polemics about tempo and metronome markings so pronounced as in this extended and relatively neglected piece. Howat is a passionate advocate of the 'Thème et variations' and believes that a cogentreappraisal of the work's tempo relationships instantly makes the work much more accessible and structurally coherent. The peerless scholarship of this edition is further amplified by corrections, performing options andinterpretative advice given by Fauré to the pianists José Iturbi, Robert Casadesus, Ricardo Viñes, Marguerite Long and Vlado Perlemuter.