Nowhere in Fauré's output are the polemics about tempo and metronome markings so pronounced as in this extended and relatively neglected piece. The detective work for the scholar and the performer begins with the thème itself; the tempo marking here is 'Allegro molto moderato' (crotchet = 69) in an 1897 edition but 'Quasi adagio' (crotchet = 50) in a revised version from 1910, both editions produced under Fauré's auspices. Inevitably this degree of discrepancy has a profound effect on the character of the music. Howat is a passionate advocate of the 'Thème et variations' and believes that a cogent reappraisal of the work's tempo relationships instantly makes the work much more accessible and structurally coherent. To this end he presents the pianist with a comprehensive table of Fauré's tempo instructions throughout the piece as presented in the three editions produced during his lifetime. The peerless scholarship of this edition is further amplified by corrections, performing options and interpretative advice given by Fauré to the pianists José Iturbi, Robert Casadesus, Ricardo Viñes, Marguerite Long and Vlado Perlemuter, as well as a piano roll recorded by the composer in 1908.