Charles Gounod (1818

Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893)

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2018

An Artist's Destiny

20180611

Donald Macleod explores Charles Gounod's student years in Italy and the sacred and symphonic music these formative years later informed, including his Symphony No.1 in D.

The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'founder of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, rather unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations.

Born in 1818 into an artistic family, Gounod found success early on in 1839 as a winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome competition. The years he spent in Rome as a consequence led to a life-long love affair with Italy. As a young man he considered taking holy orders, but his desire for success as a theatre composer won out in the end. While he continued to write music for the church, he went on to complete twelve operas, among them 'Faust', 'Mireille', hugely popular in its day, and 'Romeo et Juliette'.

Today Donald Macleod follows Gounod's progress from the Conservatoire in Paris to Rome, where he took up a Prix de Rome bursary. There he fell in love with the sound of plainchant in the Sistine Chapel and encountered the instrumental music of the German masters through an acquaintanceship with Fanny Hensel.

Ah! Je veux vivre (Romeo et Juliette)

Joan Sutherland, soprano

Orchestra of Royal Opera House

Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, conductor

Le rossignol

Ann Murray, mezzo soprano

Graham Johnson, piano

Miserere mei Deus for solo quartet, semi-chorus choir and organ ad lib

The Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Geoffrey Webber, director

Symphony no 1 in D

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana

Oleg Caetani, conductor.

Donald Macleod explores Charles Gounod's Symphony No 1 in D.

2018

Mystic Or Minstrel

20180612

Donald Macleod considers the reasons behind Charles Gounod's bid to become a theatrical composer and how his first opera 'Sapho' was created.

After three happy years spent in Italy and Vienna, in 1843 Charles Gounod returned home to Paris. Initially he took up a position writing music for a church but it wasn't long before the lure of the stage proved irresistible.

Venise

Felicity Lott, soprano

Graham Johnson, piano

Kyrie from St Cecilia Mass

Czech Chorus, Prague

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Igor Markevitch, conductor

Symphony no. 2 in E flat major (1st movement)

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana

Oleg Caetani, conductor

Finale to Act 1

Katherine Ciesinski, mezzo soprano, Sapho

Alain Meunier, baritone, Alc退e

Fr退d耀ric Vassar, bass, Pyth退as

Eliane Lublin, mezzo soprano, Glyc耀re

Alain Vanzo, tenor, Phaeon

Nouvel Orchestre Philarmonique

Radio France Chorus

Sylvain Cambreling, conductor

Tobie (excerpt)

Delphine Haidan, mezzo soprano, Anne

Fernand Bernadi, bass, Old Tobias

Chorus and Orchestra of Paris-Sorbonne

Jacques Grimbert, conductor.

Donald Macleod traces how Charles Gounod's first opera, Sapho, was created.

2018

A Pact With The Devil

20180613

Donald Macleod charts the struggles and frustrations Gounod overcame to create one of his biggest hits, 'Faust'.

The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'father of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations.

Gounod's first opera may have opened at the prestigious Paris Opera, but his pathway to a theatrical hit was far from guaranteed. His second opera, which had the grisly title, the Bleeding Nun, vanishised without a trace. Meanwhile Gounod met with the formidable force of his old piano teacher's wife. A change in his domestic life was soon on the cards.

Ave Maria

Ann Murray, mezzo soprano

Graham Johnson, piano

La Nonne sanglante, Act 3 (excerpt)

Yoonki Baek, tenor, Rodolphe

Eva Schneidereit, la Nonne sanglante

Chorus and Extra Chorus of Osnabrück Theatre

Osnabrücker Symphony Orchestra

Herman B䀀umer, director

Symphony No. 2 in E flat (2nd movement)

Larghetto (non troppo)

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana

Oleg Caetani, conductor

Faust, Act 1 (excerpt)

Jerry Hadley, tenor, Faust

Samuel Ramey, bass-baritone, M退phistoph退l耀s

Philippe Fourcade, baritone, Wagner

Chorus & Orchestra of Welsh National Opera

Carlo Rizzi, conductor

Faust (Act 2) (excerpt)

Cecilia Gasdia, soprano, Margu退rite

Orchestra of WNO

Carlo Rizzi, conductor.

Donald Macleod explores how Gounod created one of his biggest hits, Faust.

2018

Success At Last

20180614

Donald Macleod dips into Gounod's comic opera La Colombe and his biggest theatrical hit Romeo et Juliette and encounters the redoubtable Mrs. Georgina Weldon.

The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'father of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations.

In today's episode Donald Macleod looks at Gounod's activities over what turned into a very difficult decade. The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war led Gounod to relocate himself and his family to England. It wasn't long before trouble was brewing across the channel too.

La Colombe; Entr'acte (Act 2)

Hall退

Sir Mark Elder, conductor

La Colombe, (Act 2 excerpt)

Javier Camarena, tenor, Horace

Mich耀le Losier, mezzo soprano, Mazet

Halle

Mireille (Act 4 excerpt)

Air de la Crau: Voici la vaste plaine

Mirella Freni, soprano, Mireille

Orchestra du Capitole de Toulouse

Michel Plasson, conductor

Romeo et Juliette (Act 2 excerpt)

The Balcony Scene

Placido Domingo, tenor, Romeo

Ruth Ann Swenson, soprano, Juliette

Sarah Walker, mezzo soprano, Gertrude

Kurt Ollmann, baritone, Mercutio

Erick Freulon, baritone, Gregorio

Chorus of the Bavarian Radio

Munich Radio Orchestra

Leonard Slatkin, conductor.

Donald Macleod dips into Gounod's comic opera, La Colombe, and Romeo et Juliette.

2018

05 LAST

The Elder Statesman

20180615

Donald Macleod explores some of Gounod's later stage works, Polyeucte, an opera to which he remained deeply attached until his death, and Cinq-Mars and considers his contemporaries' view of his music.

The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'father of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations.

Rather to the irritation of his younger friend Bizet, in his final years Gounod assumed the role of a kind of elder statesman of French music, giving interviews and opining on any given subject. A devout Catholic, one of the very last pieces of music he wrote was to be a Requiem.

Mors et Vita, Part 2 (excerpt)

Sedenti in Throno

Orf退on Donostiarra

Toulouse Capitole Orchestra

Christoph Kuhlmann, organ

Michel Plasson, conductor

Polyeucte, (Act 2, Scene 2)

Nadia Vezzù, soprano, Pauline

Luca Grassi, baritone, S退v耀re

Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia

Manlio Benzi, conductor

String Quartet in A

The Daniel Quartet

Cinq-Mars (Act 3, excerpt)

Mathias Vidal, tenor, Cinq-Mars

V退ronique Gens, soprano, La Princesse Marie

Andrew Foster-Williams, bass-baritone, Father Joseph

Tassis Christoyannis, baritone, De Thou

Bavarian Radio Chorus

Munich Radio Orchestra

Ulf Schirmer, conductor

Benedictus

Christophe Einhorn, tenor

Charlotte Müller-Perrier, soprano

Val退rie Bonnard, alto

Christian Immler, baritone

Ensemble Vocal & Instrumental de Lausanne,

Michel Corboz, conductor

Marcelo Giannini, organ.

Donald Macleod explores Gounod's late operas, Polyeucte and Cinq-Mars.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2018	01	An Artist's Destiny	20180611	Donald Macleod explores Charles Gounod's student years in Italy and the sacred and symphonic music these formative years later informed, including his Symphony No.1 in D. The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'founder of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, rather unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations. Born in 1818 into an artistic family, Gounod found success early on in 1839 as a winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome competition. The years he spent in Rome as a consequence led to a life-long love affair with Italy. As a young man he considered taking holy orders, but his desire for success as a theatre composer won out in the end. While he continued to write music for the church, he went on to complete twelve operas, among them 'Faust', 'Mireille', hugely popular in its day, and 'Romeo et Juliette'. Today Donald Macleod follows Gounod's progress from the Conservatoire in Paris to Rome, where he took up a Prix de Rome bursary. There he fell in love with the sound of plainchant in the Sistine Chapel and encountered the instrumental music of the German masters through an acquaintanceship with Fanny Hensel. Ah! Je veux vivre (Romeo et Juliette) Joan Sutherland, soprano Orchestra of Royal Opera House Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, conductor Le rossignol Ann Murray, mezzo soprano Graham Johnson, piano Miserere mei Deus for solo quartet, semi-chorus choir and organ ad lib The Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Geoffrey Webber, director Symphony no 1 in D Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana Oleg Caetani, conductor. Donald Macleod explores Charles Gounod's Symphony No 1 in D.
2018	02	Mystic Or Minstrel	20180612	Donald Macleod considers the reasons behind Charles Gounod's bid to become a theatrical composer and how his first opera 'Sapho' was created. The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'founder of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, rather unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations. Born in 1818 into an artistic family, Gounod found success early on in 1839 as a winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome competition. The years he spent in Rome as a consequence led to a life-long love affair with Italy. As a young man he considered taking holy orders, but his desire for success as a theatre composer won out in the end. While he continued to write music for the church, he went on to complete twelve operas, among them 'Faust', 'Mireille', hugely popular in its day, and 'Romeo et Juliette'. After three happy years spent in Italy and Vienna, in 1843 Charles Gounod returned home to Paris. Initially he took up a position writing music for a church but it wasn't long before the lure of the stage proved irresistible. Venise Felicity Lott, soprano Graham Johnson, piano Kyrie from St Cecilia Mass Czech Chorus, Prague Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Igor Markevitch, conductor Symphony no. 2 in E flat major (1st movement) Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana Oleg Caetani, conductor Finale to Act 1 Katherine Ciesinski, mezzo soprano, Sapho Alain Meunier, baritone, Alc退e Fr退d耀ric Vassar, bass, Pyth退as Eliane Lublin, mezzo soprano, Glyc耀re Alain Vanzo, tenor, Phaeon Nouvel Orchestre Philarmonique Radio France Chorus Sylvain Cambreling, conductor Tobie (excerpt) Delphine Haidan, mezzo soprano, Anne Fernand Bernadi, bass, Old Tobias Chorus and Orchestra of Paris-Sorbonne Jacques Grimbert, conductor. Donald Macleod traces how Charles Gounod's first opera, Sapho, was created.
2018	03	A Pact With The Devil	20180613	Donald Macleod charts the struggles and frustrations Gounod overcame to create one of his biggest hits, 'Faust'. The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'father of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations. Born in 1818 into an artistic family, Gounod found success early on in 1839 as a winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome competition. The years he spent in Rome as a consequence led to a life-long love affair with Italy. As a young man he considered taking holy orders, but his desire for success as a theatre composer won out in the end. While he continued to write music for the church, he went on to complete twelve operas, among them 'Faust', 'Mireille', hugely popular in its day, and 'Romeo et Juliette'. Gounod's first opera may have opened at the prestigious Paris Opera, but his pathway to a theatrical hit was far from guaranteed. His second opera, which had the grisly title, the Bleeding Nun, vanishised without a trace. Meanwhile Gounod met with the formidable force of his old piano teacher's wife. A change in his domestic life was soon on the cards. Ave Maria Ann Murray, mezzo soprano Graham Johnson, piano La Nonne sanglante, Act 3 (excerpt) Yoonki Baek, tenor, Rodolphe Eva Schneidereit, la Nonne sanglante Chorus and Extra Chorus of Osnabrück Theatre Osnabrücker Symphony Orchestra Herman B䀀umer, director Symphony No. 2 in E flat (2nd movement) Larghetto (non troppo) Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana Oleg Caetani, conductor Faust, Act 1 (excerpt) Jerry Hadley, tenor, Faust Samuel Ramey, bass-baritone, M退phistoph退l耀s Philippe Fourcade, baritone, Wagner Chorus & Orchestra of Welsh National Opera Carlo Rizzi, conductor Faust (Act 2) (excerpt) Cecilia Gasdia, soprano, Margu退rite Orchestra of WNO Carlo Rizzi, conductor. Donald Macleod explores how Gounod created one of his biggest hits, Faust.
2018	04	Success At Last	20180614	Donald Macleod dips into Gounod's comic opera La Colombe and his biggest theatrical hit Romeo et Juliette and encounters the redoubtable Mrs. Georgina Weldon. The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'father of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations. Born in 1818 into an artistic family, Gounod found success early on in 1839 as a winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome competition. The years he spent in Rome as a consequence led to a life-long love affair with Italy. As a young man he considered taking holy orders, but his desire for success as a theatre composer won out in the end. While he continued to write music for the church, he went on to complete twelve operas, among them 'Faust', 'Mireille', hugely popular in its day, and 'Romeo et Juliette'. In today's episode Donald Macleod looks at Gounod's activities over what turned into a very difficult decade. The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war led Gounod to relocate himself and his family to England. It wasn't long before trouble was brewing across the channel too. La Colombe; Entr'acte (Act 2) Hall退 Sir Mark Elder, conductor La Colombe, (Act 2 excerpt) Javier Camarena, tenor, Horace Mich耀le Losier, mezzo soprano, Mazet Halle Mireille (Act 4 excerpt) Air de la Crau: Voici la vaste plaine Mirella Freni, soprano, Mireille Orchestra du Capitole de Toulouse Michel Plasson, conductor Romeo et Juliette (Act 2 excerpt) The Balcony Scene Placido Domingo, tenor, Romeo Ruth Ann Swenson, soprano, Juliette Sarah Walker, mezzo soprano, Gertrude Kurt Ollmann, baritone, Mercutio Erick Freulon, baritone, Gregorio Chorus of the Bavarian Radio Munich Radio Orchestra Leonard Slatkin, conductor. Donald Macleod dips into Gounod's comic opera, La Colombe, and Romeo et Juliette.
2018	05 LAST	The Elder Statesman	20180615	Donald Macleod explores some of Gounod's later stage works, Polyeucte, an opera to which he remained deeply attached until his death, and Cinq-Mars and considers his contemporaries' view of his music. The importance of Charles Gounod was readily acknowledged by the generations who succeeded him. A prolific composer, his contribution to song repertoire led Ravel to call him the 'father of the French melodie'. Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens all took inspiration from his operas, while the body of religious music he produced is so substantial, it has yet to be properly assessed. Given his standing among peers it's perhaps unfair that his reputation faded so quickly after his death in 1893. In more recent times his reputation has recovered but still, unfairly, rests on a handful of works. This week, therefore, presents a rare chance to delve into the surprising breadth of Gounod's musical preoccupations. Born in 1818 into an artistic family, Gounod found success early on in 1839 as a winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome competition. The years he spent in Rome as a consequence led to a life-long love affair with Italy. As a young man he considered taking holy orders, but his desire for success as a theatre composer won out in the end. While he continued to write music for the church, he went on to complete twelve operas, among them 'Faust', 'Mireille', hugely popular in its day, and 'Romeo et Juliette'. Rather to the irritation of his younger friend Bizet, in his final years Gounod assumed the role of a kind of elder statesman of French music, giving interviews and opining on any given subject. A devout Catholic, one of the very last pieces of music he wrote was to be a Requiem. Mors et Vita, Part 2 (excerpt) Sedenti in Throno Orf退on Donostiarra Toulouse Capitole Orchestra Christoph Kuhlmann, organ Michel Plasson, conductor Polyeucte, (Act 2, Scene 2) Nadia Vezzù, soprano, Pauline Luca Grassi, baritone, S退v耀re Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia Manlio Benzi, conductor String Quartet in A The Daniel Quartet Cinq-Mars (Act 3, excerpt) Mathias Vidal, tenor, Cinq-Mars V退ronique Gens, soprano, La Princesse Marie Andrew Foster-Williams, bass-baritone, Father Joseph Tassis Christoyannis, baritone, De Thou Bavarian Radio Chorus Munich Radio Orchestra Ulf Schirmer, conductor Benedictus Christophe Einhorn, tenor Charlotte Müller-Perrier, soprano Val退rie Bonnard, alto Christian Immler, baritone Ensemble Vocal & Instrumental de Lausanne, Michel Corboz, conductor Marcelo Giannini, organ. Donald Macleod explores Gounod's late operas, Polyeucte and Cinq-Mars.