The Operas of Charles Gounod
Steven Huebner(Author)
Clarendon Press
Published on 1. October 1992
Book
Paperback/Softback
324 pages
978-0-19-816348-0 (ISBN)
Description
Gounod was the leading opera composer in France in the mid-19th century, and his best-known operas, including "Faust" and "Romeo et Juliette", date from that time. Despite the overwhelming success of "Faust" and Gounod's influence on all French composers of the later 19th century, he has been virtually ignored by biographers. In the context of Gounod's operatic world, this study charts the composer's career from his early decision to abandon studies for the priesthood in favour of the stage, through the years of frustration and uncertainty, to the triumphant success of "Faust", and beyond that to the years he spent in England, when he composed oratorios for the Birmingham and Norwich Festivals and became the first conductor of what is now the Royal Choral Society. The central section of Huebner's book deals with each of the major operas, discussing not only the music but also the critical reception and source material. The final section considers aspects of the composer's musical style and outlines his influence on subsequent generations of composers.
More details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Oxford University Press
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
8 pp halftone plates, music examples, bibliography
ISBN-13
978-0-19-816348-0 (9780198163480)
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Schweitzer Classification