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Charles Gounod

Charles-François Gounod (; French: [ʃaʁl fʁɑ̃swa ɡuno]; 17 June 1818 – 18 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been Faust (1859); his Roméo et Juliette (1867) also remains in the international repertory. He composed a large amount of church music, many songs, and popular short pieces including his Ave Maria (an elaboration of a Bach piece) and "Funeral March of a Marionette".

Born in Paris into an artistic and musical family Gounod was a student at the Conservatoire de Paris and won France's most prestigious musical prize, the Prix de Rome. His studies took him to Italy, Austria and then Prussia, where he met Felix Mendelssohn, whose advocacy of the music of Bach was an early influence on him. He was deeply religious, and after his return to Paris, he briefly considered becoming a priest. He composed prolifically, writing church music, songs, orchestral music and operas.

Gounod's career was disrupted by the Franco-Prussian War. He moved to England with his family for refuge from the Prussian advance on Paris in 1870. After peace was restored in 1871 his family returned to Paris but he remained in London, living in the house of an amateur singer, Georgina Weldon, who became the controlling figure in his life. After nearly three years he broke away from her and returned to his family in France. His absence, and the appearance of younger French composers, meant that he was no longer at the forefront of French musical life; although he remained a respected figure he was regarded as old-fashioned during his later years, and operatic success eluded him. He died at his house in Saint-Cloud, near Paris at the age of 75.

Few of Gounod's works remain in the regular international repertoire, but his influence on later French composers was considerable. In his music there is a strand of romantic sentiment that is continued in the operas of Jules Massenet and others; there is also a strand of classical restraint and elegance that influenced Gabriel Fauré. Claude Debussy wrote that Gounod represented the essential French sensibility of his time.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 17, 1818 (Paris), Died October 18, 1893 (Saint-Cloud)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1896 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 501-525 of 1111 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 78111 10-in. 10/15/1918 Ah! Que l'amour cause de peine Maurice Eisner ; Yvette Guilbert Soprano vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 78351 10-in. 3/15/1919 Operatic one-step Prince's Band Band composer  
Columbia 78701 10-in. 9/27/1919 Ave Maria Clyde Doerr Alto saxophone solo, with harp composer  
Columbia 78782 10-in. 10/31/1919 Selections from Faust Marconi Brothers Piano accordion trio composer  
Columbia 79034 10-in. 3/8/1920 Flower song Lucy Gates Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 79225 10-in. 6/2/1920 Si le bonheur Barbara Maurel Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 80275 10-in. 4/4/1922 Garden scene Sascha Jacobsen Violin solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 81617 10-in. 3/12/1924 Au printemps Florence Macbeth Soprano vocal solo, with harp and orchestra composer  
Columbia 30037 12-in. 6/14/1906 Dio possente David Scull Bispham Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30067 12-in. 12/3/1906 Mensaje de amor José Grayville Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30099 12-in. 4/13/1907 Mephistopheles' serenade Vittorio Arimondi Bass vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30124 12-in. ca. 1907 Romeo and Juliet : Valse Lillian Blauvelt Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30234 12-in. 3/25/1909 Ah! lève toi, soleil Florencio Constantino Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30307 12-in. approximately 1909 Nazareth Kirk Towns Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30334 12-in. 1/12/1910 Ring out, wild bells David Scull Bispham Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30340 12-in. between January and March 1910 Romeo and Juliet : Selections Prince's Band Band composer  
Columbia 30397 12-in. 3/23/1910 Aria dei gioielli Lina Cavalieri Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30398 12-in. between January and March 1910 Le parlate d'amor Bettina Freeman Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30410 12-in. approximately 1910 Io bramo el piacere Florencio Constantino ; José Mardones Vocal duet (tenor and baritone), with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30411 12-in. 4/7/1910 Il duello Ramon Blanchart ; Florencio Constantino ; José Mardones Vocal trio (tenor, baritone, and bass), with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30412 12-in. ca. Jan.-June 1910 Deponiam il brando Boston Opera Company Male Chorus Male vocal chorus, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30428 12-in. 4/11/1910 Nella calma d'un bel sogno Eugenie Bronskaja Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30440 12-in. 4/15/1910 All'erta! All'erta! Eugenie Bronskaja ; Florencio Constantino ; José Mardones Vocal trio (soprano, tenor, and bass), with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30445 12-in. 4/15/1910 Dammi ancor Eugenie Bronskaja ; Florencio Constantino Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra composer  
Columbia 30458 12-in. 4/21/1910 Serenata José Mardones Bass vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 501-525 of 1111 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gounod, Charles," accessed June 14, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102530.

Gounod, Charles. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 14, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102530.

"Gounod, Charles." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 14 June 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102530

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