The first song, Le parfum imperissable, while by no means revolutionary, is rather atypical of Faure, with a large number of discords, even more unusually, very few of the somewhat predictable arching lines in the vocal part, and with many more tonal modulations than usual. The opening is fairly standard, a simple vocal line over an equally simple accompaniment, though the vocal range is slightly smaller than usual, and lacking that lyrical arch. In the lines "Il garde in se," the vocal lines become almost operatically declamatory, remaining at forte longer than usual, and the accompaniment is largely reduced to single, brief chords which accent the drama of the text. While written much later, the structure has some resemblance to "Apres un reve" in his Opus 7, another more or less atypical composition, opening somewhat conventionally, rising to a sustained peak of intensity, and requiring the performers to maintain that intensity even in the decrescendo of the last lines.

Arpege, by contrast, is much more typical, with its dreamily amorous tone. The accompaniment of course frequently uses arpeggios, and particularly in the treble line, often has quick, liquid trills that suggest the sighing flute that the text describes. The vocal lines are the usual legato arches and frequent crescendos and decrescendos. There are moments of intensity in this song as well, but the intensity focuses on the senses rather than the emotions—the main vocal climax is in the line "la lune, bijou d'Orient," rather than the reminder, "l'heure est si breve," which is actually placed in parentheses.



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