Image Source: Wikipedia

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 601-625 of 1111 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 6779 12-in. approximately 1916 Ballet music, part 5 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra composer  
Columbia 6787 12-in. approximately 1916 Ballet music, nos. 6 & 7 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra composer  
Columbia 6855 12-in. approximately 1916 Jewel song Elsa Stralia Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 6921 12-in. approximately 1916 Romeo and Juliet : Processional March Beecham Symphony Orchestra ; Thomas Beecham Orchestra composer  
Columbia 6937 12-in. approximately 1916 O night of hymen Rosina Buckman ; Maurice D'Oisly Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra composer  
Columbia 10016 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Salve dimora Oreste Mieli composer  
Columbia 10034 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Dio possente Vincenzo Reschiglian Baritone vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10066 7-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Tu che fai l'addormentata Ettore Brancaleoni Bass vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10095 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Aria dei gioielli Anita Fontana-Costantini Soprano vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10119 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Tardi si fa Leonilda Gabbi Paini ; Oreste Mieli Baritone vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10135 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Ave Maria Leonilda Gabbi Paini composer  
Columbia 10138 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Dio dell 'or Irnerio Costantini Bass vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10212 7-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Serenata Ettore Brancaleoni Bass vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10272 7-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Tu puoi la spada Nicolò Fossetta Baritone vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10336 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Morte di Valentino Luigi Baldassare Baritone vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10378 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Tardi si fa Clara Joanna ; Angelo Santini Vocal duet (soprano and tenor) composer  
Columbia 10382 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Prologo, duetto Ettore Brancaleoni ; Angelo Santini Male vocal duet composer  
Columbia 10384 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Salve dimora Angelo Santini Tenor vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10463 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Ave Maria Clara Joanna Soprano vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10526 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Ave Maria de Gounod Roméo Berti Tenor vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 10589 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Dio possente Taurino Parvis Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 10590 10-in. between 1903 and 1914 Serenade Taurino Parvis Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 10649 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Dio dell'or Cesare Preve Bass vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 10698 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Salve dimora casta e pura Angelo Santini Tenor vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10726 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 Faust : Io voglio piacer Cesare Preve ; Angelo Santini Vocal duet (bass and tenor) composer  
(Results 601-625 of 1111 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gounod, Charles," accessed June 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102530.

Gounod, Charles. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102530.

"Gounod, Charles." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 June 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.