Charles françois gounod biography
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Charles Gounod
Charles Gounod was a French composer principally of opera and sacred music. He was born on 17th June 1818 in Paris, France and died on 18th October 1893 in Saint-Cloud, France aged 75.
Major Works
Requiem (1842)
“Sapho” (1851)
“Saint Cecilia Mass” (1855)
“Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” (1856)
“Faust” (1859)
Biography Timeline
Charles Francois Gounod was born on 17th June 1818, at 11 Place St-Andre des Arts in Paris, France. He was the second son of Louis Francois Gounod a painter and engraver, and Victoire Lemachois.
1823: His father dies and his mother gives piano lessons in order to look after her two boys.
1829: He enters the Lycee Saint-Louis.
1831: In January he sees a performance of Giachino Rossini’s opera “Othello” and is impressed by it.
1832: A visit to see Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni” inspires him to become a composer.
1835: He
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Charles-François Gounod
Charles Gounod was a pivotal figure in 19th-century French musikdrama, celebrated for his lyrical style and melodic grace. Born in 1818, Gounod initially pursued lag under pressure from his parents but soon followed his passion for music, studying at the Paris Conservatoire. He won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1839, allowing him to spend time in Italy, where he absorbed the works of Palestrina and became acquainted with the Faust legend—both of which would profoundly influence his later compositions.
Gounod’s music is noted for its rich, expressive melodies and his ability to blend sacred and secular influences. His most famous opera, Faust (1859), showcases his gift for drama and character development through music, blending traditional French lyricism with a spiritual depth. Gounod’s delicate orchestration and emphasis on vocal beauty are key hallmarks of his style, seen again in Roméo et Juliette (1867), where his ability to capture romantic and emotional
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Biography
One work has ensured Charles Gounod’s lasting fame: Faust. Gounod’s greatest operatic hit is presented at an average of 22 musikdrama houses worldwide every year. Roméo et Juliette is not far behind it, while the remaining ten of his operas continue to make occasional appearances. Another perennial favourite is ‘Ave Maria’, drawn from the opening C major prelude of Bach’s Das Wohltemperierte Klavier. But these works are only a fraction of the French composer’s output. Gounod was one of the giants of French musical life in the second half of the 19th century. His catalogue includes works in every major genre of the day, especially song, orchestral music and choral music. He was born into an artistic family. His father was a painter and engraver who worked for royalty and died young. Gounod’s widowed mother supported the family by teaching piano. Gounod inherited the talents of both parents, but music claimed him as a career. At the Paris Conservatoire, he studied with Fromental