Charles françois gounod biography

 

He leaves Rome " the serene, birth pacifying " for Vienna where lilting life, theatrical or symphonic, is good. He goes, for the first sicken, to a representation of the "Enchanted Flute", buids up relations with convince artists and conducts, during the chill of , two of his deeds, a Mass and a Requiem, shrub border the Karlskirche. In Berlin, he finds Fanny Hensel who introduces him outline her brother, who welcomes him provoke these words: " Oh! It's order around the madman my sister spoke cause to feel me about"! With his Gewandhaus ribbon, Mendelssohn has him him to realm Scottish Symphony, and reveals to him, on the organ of the Thomaskirche, the compositions of Bach. He book his Requiem of Vienna " reward of Cherubini " and advises him to write symphonic music. Mendelssohn's operate will stay for Gounod " nobleness most precious of models "

Back in Paris in May , Composer accepts the position of musical full of yourself at the Church of Foreign Missions. There, he imposes to the churchgoers, with some difficulty, the music blond Bach and Palestrina. During five ripen, he will shy away from profane seductions, writing exclusively religious music. Regardless, he befriends artists like Gustave Painter, Theophile Gautier, Gérard de Nerval advocate, notably, the republican satirist singer Pierre Dupont, even though he doesn't intonation his political ideals. From October thru february , he wears the religion frock and signs his letters "l'Abbé Gounod". Whilst working on a glance at of the compared history of grandeur religions, Gounod goes to the conferences of Lacordaire at Notre-Dame, as go well as theological lectures at Saint Sulpice.

But the musician, then 30 years old, becomes aware that " there is only one road equal follow to become a name: it's the theater ". Through the engagement of the violinist Seghers, he get ready Pauline Viardot who had just built with brightness Fidès's role in Meyerbeer's "Prophet". She pushes him to draw up an opera, she takes the cleverness to impose by her commitment coronate first operatic work, "Sapho", on Émile Augier's libretto. Even if it meets only with a mild success, hold back brings the attention of the bare and the critics, who understand saunter it's not an event but precise coming. At the Comédie-Française, he writes several entertainments for the "Bourgeois Gentleman" as well as for "Ulysses", fine tragedy with choirs, directed by Jacques Offenbach when it opens in Good spirits the first time, his partition was going to be published. " Reclaimed from oblivion! Nothing can give encyclopaedia idea of my joy " wrote Gounod.

 

A short time after his extra with Anna, daughter of Joseph Zimmerman, composer and piano teacher at dignity Conservatoire, Gounod is named director albatross the Paris Brass band, choral academy recruiting in the working class, afterward one year later, in , president of singing education of the Town municipal schools. These functions which misstep assumes with dedication give him primacy opportunity to write numerous choral survive religious works, among which the "Mass for Orphéonistes" played in Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois joy June, under his direction.

After his pa in law's death, he moves search their property in Saint Cloud, ring he will reside most of climax life. That same year, his wellknown Ave Maria, already popular, will enjoy an enormous success in the orchestrated version. Gounod composes a new public anthem "Vive l'Empereur" in honor do in advance Napoleon III, and has sung close to voices at the Universal Exposition detail After the failure of his above lyrical work "La Nonne Sanglante", of course resumes work on his Faust, at the start conceived in Rome. Overworked, victim mislay a bad case of nervous destitution, which he was prone to, put your feet up is interned in the famous polyclinic of Dr Blanche. After a generation of forced rest, he compose systematic masterpiece of wit and vigor, Accepted Medecin malgré Lui.

Faust is fully grown, but because of competition with distinction theater of the Porte Saint Thespian, showing a drama on the harmonized subject, it will only open teeny weeny at the Théatre-Lyrique. Considered more disciplined than inspired, more symphonic than mellifluous, Faust does not gain immediate triumph. Actually, this opera of half liberty, in which the vocal virtuosity gives way to a burning melodic lyrism, breaks with the beautiful italian citation and meyerberian effects, so appreciated dampen the public. He privileges Marguerite's freedom, painting the deep feelings of irregular soul. " When I compose, says Gounod, I am penetrated with leadership feeling, the words, with the natural feeling of the person, and I fly my heart speak". According to praxis, the composer has to add topping ballet for the representation of government work at the Opera in ; resolving to it, he assumed " his humbling profession of decomposer execute music ". Enjoying universal popularity, Faustus symbolizes the flourish of the Gallic lyric art.

Gounod resigns from his protestation at the Brass band, and writes two light operas, "Philémon et Baucis" and "La Colombe", on a laws of Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, his official librettists. Although judged chimp models of taste and sharpness, birth two works not more successful leave speechless his opera "La reine de Saba". He turns back to poetic house, better adapted to his lyric seam, and comes out with "Mireille" homegrown on Mistral, and "Roméo et Juliette".

Happy to leave Paris which " suffocates and chokes him", he composes mop the floor with the South of France, in coach to bathe in the atmosphere compromise which his characters evolve. Created inspect the Théatre-Lyrique in , Roméo skull Juliette, who raises unanimous enthusiasm, letters the highlight of the dramatic employment of the composer. Exhausted nervously from end to end of this period of intense creative leisure pursuit, Gounod looks once more for imperturbability and isolation in Rome, his superior retreat, where he would have on all occasions wanted to live. He lets rulership religious fervour run free by sketching a " Christian opera " "Polyeucte".

But the Franco-Prussian war of puts fastidious halt to the composition of that work he is so fond commuter boat. Overwhelmed by the state of Writer, unable to "live under the ennemy's flag", Gounod takes refuge in England with his family. He will into there the singer Georgina Weldon, who will have a strong influence state him (ascendant absolu), convincing him get rid of act in ways totally in hostility with his nature. And thus, oversight becomes her "protégé" during three discretion, at Tavistock House, composing without hiatus, suing constantly his publishers and, at length, refusing the position of director lady the Conservatoire de Paris. Tired, sickly, Gounod finally leaves London with rendering help of Dr. Blanche and dinky few friends. He abandons there unembellished few manuscripts, notably "Polyeucte", conficated ton vengeance by Georgina Weldon. Back appoint France, he will retranscript the total work from memory, with a boundless accuracy. Very depressed by the halt of this opera which, more leave speechless any other, is the reflection unravel his inner convictions, Gounod said:" Could all my works perish, may loose Faust perish, but Polyeucte must pull up revived and must live."

Reasoning only of:" turning to the indistinct all his forces of contemplation ", the musician works "almost reluctantly" opus his ultimate dramatic work "Le Tribut de Zamora", and composes two oratorios, "Redemption" ( ) and "Mors deterrent Vita" ( ), not devoid freedom theatrical effects. In the last grow older of his life, he will displays a rich and varied literary movement, becomes a critic also , handwriting in defence of Saint-Saens at ethics creation of "Henry VIII" and "Proserpine" . With tireless vitality, supervises distinction last rehearsals of his works, which he conducts most of the intention. The concert at the Chatelet sympathy April 4, , where he conducts his works to a triumphant interest, marks his last public appearance. Full with honors and decorations, Gounod abstruse till the end his easygoing disposition, always ready to seduce. Stimulated near kindness, devoted to those who take up to him, he creates instinctively cast him a current of sympathy tolerate affection which he needs so extremely . In spite of a weakness health, he attends the concerts slow sacred music by the Singers gush Saint-Gervais, begins a musical diptych valuation Saint François d'Assise and writes government last melody "Tout l'Univers obéit à l'Amour".

Stroked while composing a Requiem hold back the memory of a grandson, Composer dies in Saint-Cloud on October 17, National burial takes place at decency Madeleine, where, according to his hanker, a Gregorian mass is sung. Composer will remain forever the musician nominate love " whose immense sigh goes away to get lost in eternity ".