"According to the biographer Jean-Michel Nectoux," - Is "the" necessary?
It is indeed necessary in good UK English. The construction "according to biographer J-M Nectoux" is deprecated by British style guides and is relegated to tabloid newspapers. See for example Guardian style book under "Names": "Do not leave out the definite article in such constructions as 'style guru David Marsh said ...' It should be 'The style guru David Marsh'" Tim riley (talk) 19:11, 5 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
"His mother was the daughter of a minor member of the nobility." - Perhaps this should be before the marriage?
"Appointed in his place and with the support of the French government, Fauré changed radically the administration and curriculum." - Changed radically or radically changed? I'm pretty sure that, if there's an object, the adverb should be before the verb.
"I've started a Quartet for strings, without piano. This is a genre which Beethoven in particular made famous, and causes all those who are not Beethoven to be terrified of it." - Emphasis in original?
"Fauré died in Paris from pneumonia on 4 November 1924 at the age of 79. He was given a state funeral at the Église de la Madeleine and is buried in the Passy Cemetery in Paris." - Reference? Why not merge with the below paragraph?
