Gabriel Faure, born May 12, 1845, is one of the most important French composers, yet many people outside France have never heard his name. He spent his life creating music that was quiet and elegant rather than loud and dramatic. As a child, Faure attended the Ecole Niedermeyer, a music school in Paris where he studied for eleven years. One of his teachers was Camille Saint-Saens, who became a lifelong friend and mentor. Faure wrote songs, piano pieces, and chamber music. His most famous work is his Requiem, a piece of music written for church services honoring people who have died. Most requiems are dark and frightening. Faure's is gentle and comforting. He called it a "lullaby of death." In 1905, Faure became the director of the Paris Conservatory, one of the most prestigious music schools in the world. Around this time, he began losing his hearing. High notes and low notes became distorted, making it difficult for him to hear his own compositions clearly. Despite this, he continued composing for nearly twenty more years. Musicians today admire Faure because his music shows that beauty does not require volume.