Charles Gounod (b. 17. June 1818 in Paris – d. 18. October 1893 in Saint-Cloud/Hauts-de-Sein)
Symphony No. 2 in E flat major (1855)
In France we love so many things, that music is somewhat neglected. However, we have some very able people, who listen to music every day, music of all sorts, and therefore call themselves musicians. They just never write a single note…they encourage others to do so. What generally emerges is the foundation of a school. It is better not to talk to these people about Gounod; they would look down on you from the lofty tower of their gods, whose most agreeable quality is that they are interchangeable. Gounod did not belong to any school. (Claude Debussy in his “Concerning Charles Gounod”.)
Gounod grew up in an artistic environment. His father was the painter Francois-Louis Gounod, his mother, on the other hand, was a trained pianist. After private studies with Antoine Reicha he went to the Paris Conservatoire, where he was taught by Jaques Fromental Halévy. The centre of his musical work was initially sacred music. In 1839 he won the acclaimed Prize of Rome with his Cantata “Fernand”. After the Prize of Rome and the associated sojourn in Italy, he continued to write mainly sacred music. So it was that during a stay in Vienna in 1842 he received the commission to compose two masses. His religious inclination was reflected in the fact that for several years he toyed with the idea to become a priest. His personality however was an impediment. Contempories describe him as a person who was charming but also characterized by contradictory and occasionally passionate emotions.
Through Hector Berlioz he turned to opera. Altogether he created 18 stage works; in addition to operas, he also wrote theatre music. In 1851 his first opera “Sappho” appeared. In it he already strives to distance himself from Grand Opéra, by avoiding external effects and the usual ballet sequences. He created the so called “lyrical drama”, which was a synthesis of German, Italian and French styles. His operas also profited from his ability to orchestrate. The use of the orchestra as well as the structure shows the influence of Richard Wagner on Gounod.
His most successful opera appeared in 1859 with the setting to music of Goethe’s Faust. In spite of a reserved reception at the first performance, it was successfully performed a further 57 times. His experience as a composer of sacred music is apparent in the cathedral scene of his opera “Faust”. In 1867 his second very successful opera “Romeo and Juliet”, after Shakespeare, appeared. As a result of the German-French war in 1870/1871 Gounod leaves Paris and moves to London. Here, he founded the “Gounod Choir”, the precursor of the “Royal Choral Society”. For the London World Exhibition in 1871 he composed the motet “Gallia”. After his return in 1875, operas of lesser significance appeared in Paris. In the final period of his life, he turned again increasingly to sacred music. Gounod composed 16 masses all together, of which the “Cecilia Mass” is regarded as the most significant. It was written, as were the two symphonies, in the year 1855. He died on the 18th of October 1893 in Saint-Cloud/Hauts-de-Seine as the result of a stroke.
Due to his influence on the subsequent generation of musicians and his considerable popularity, he belongs to the most important composers in France in the period between 1850 and 1880. Among his pupils were Georges Bizet (for whom the two symphonies from Gounod served as a model for his C major symphony) and Saint-Saëns. He also influenced such composers as Massenet and Fauré.
The French orchestral landscape in the middle 19th century explains the small number of orchestral works written by Gounod. There were hardly any symphony orchestras. Most orchestras were purely opera orchestras, as the French musical scene was very strongly dominated by the opera. Many French composers suffered under these conditions, particularly Saint-Saëns, who wrote many orchestral works. Gounod composed his first symphony in D major in 1854/1855. It was well received by the public. As a result of this success, Gounod composed in the same year his second symphony in E flat major. Although Gounod knew well the works of Berlioz and other composers of his period, he rather used the symphonies of Haydn and Beethoven as a model. This is already apparent in the instrumentation that refers to Beethoven’s later symphonies and overtures (double wood wind, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, percussion, strings). The trumpets and percussion are used sparingly. The dynamic contrasts and numerous sforzati also recall Beethoven. The first performance of the E flat major symphony by the Pasdeloups orchestra was a success. In spite of this success Gounod thereafter only composed the “Petit Symphonie” for eight wind instruments in 1888.
The slow introduction of the first movement is very reminiscent of Haydn and Beethoven. It is rhythmically characterized by dotted quavers. Apart from a short insertion in bar 13, which leads to e flat minor, the harmony of the introduction is rather conventional. The introduction ends classically in the dominant B major. The tempo of the allegro is very fast and should be taken in whole bars. It starts with the main theme. The main section is dominated by 4 bar phrases. Typical for Gounod is the chromatic descent, four bars before letter B. The main theme dominates the whole section up to letter D. The second theme begins quite regularly in the dominant at letter E. The end of the development is again dominated by the main theme. The short development consists almost entirely of the two themes or elements thereof. Almost every bar can be related back to them. In the reprise the side theme resounds now also in E flat major, the movement is concluded by a short coda. In this both themes are combined with each other. The second movement has three parts in B major. The first six bars with their for Gounod typical chromatic descents form the introduction to the main musical idea at letter A. The main key of B major is reached here for the first time. The middle section begins at letter E. It is influenced by two elements. These are the dotted semi quavers (initially in violin I), and a second singing theme in the first violins, six bars after letter H. These themes are remarkable through the large intervals and the use of the diminished fourth. The theme is in the dominant F major. The final section begins at letter K with a repetition of the main idea. It is presented by the wind, and the first violins play a semi quaver figuration. Finally, they take over the main theme and the violas and cellos the figuration. At the end of the third section both elements of the middle section appear combined.
The scherzo is in G minor. The chromatic unison passages are typical. The trio is composed in G major. In the scherzo Gounod develops his own particular style. It is closer to Mendelssohn (whose music Gounod knew) as to Beethoven, who introduced the scherzo as a further development of the minuet.
The light hearted fourth movement forms the final point with a perpetuum mobile in the style of Haydn, but with French influence. The first bars strongly influence the whole section. The perpetuum mobile character is created by the constant semi quaver notes in the accompanying voices. The movement is composed in the sonataform. The first theme opens the movement initially in the first violin. The second theme first appears at letter B in the wood wind.
Even though Gounod is present in the current musical world principally through his operas “Faust” (occasionally known as “Margarete” in Germany) and “Romeo and Juliet”, particularly the second symphony gives an interesting and unfortunately neglected contribution to this genre.
Duration of performance about 9/9/5/9 minutes
Translation: John Conrad
For performance material please contact the publisher Choudens, Paris. Reprint of a copy from the collection Marcus Prieser, Wittmund.
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