The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-29
CHARLES GOUNOD.
A Great Composer Who Achieved Fame
After Many Reverses.


Charles Gounod, whose death was an
nounced in a Paris dispatch last Tuesday
lived long enough TO feel sure that his
name would 90 down to posterity with
those Of Mozart Bach and Beethoven
This must have been a full compensation
TO him for all he had suffered In the early
DAYS Of his manhood and budding genius,
when he struggled with the seas Of adver-
sity. at times feeling that he must give up
tine contest and succumb II must nave
been a compensation to him for the slurs
of stupid critics and the ignorance or
managers who would not see the value
Of the pearl which he offered them.
Fortune came with fame in later life,
but he thought less Of the fortune than
ne did of the fame. fortune IS feeting,
fame is lasting, and this truism Gounod
fully appreciated.
What a grim satisfaction &c must have
been to the great composer 70 have WIZ
messed the 5OOth representation OF MS
masterpiece. Faust" a work which con-
tains the elements of classic beauty ro-
mantle mysticism. and religious ferVor-
a masterpiece which had been rejected by
presumably intelligent judges and Whlch
ne was compelled to dispose Of for mere
pittancel With what grim satisfaction
must he have recalled the adverse crit
lcism Of the Paris scribes when they lrst
Heard that immortal composition. rms
indeed was something 20 live for apart
from fortune. That was in 1881, and
Gounod has since then heard Faust
repeated scores OF times In Paris alone.
Faust" may be taken as typical OF
his genius and referred TO as his musical
characteristic. Its romanticism and mys-
tlcisSa are seen in most OF his compost
tons The early religious trend OF his
mind. for he once had determined TO enter
the church, is also seen In his compost
tioins. He was never grander, better or
more artistic than I'm his more serious
works. His oratoriO, Redemption, VIII
live as long as Faust" II not longer.
Into the oratorio he threw all the power OF
his mind. and all the energy he possessed
and all the resources Of his art. He was
musical to the last Few men were more
nrolidc than GOunOd. Old age could not
dampen the fire Of his genius. At 81 years
he wrote that very fine religious work,
.Nors ct Vita" produced at the Birming-
ham festival In the closing hours OF
his life, like the man he loved and rever-
enced Mozart, strains OF melody were
I'm his mind, in his soul, and came from
his lips II may be said that he dled
singing.
Charles Francis Gounod was born in
Paris on June II, 1918. His mother, a
pianist Of great talent. gave him his early
musical instruction. lis education was
conducted at the Lycee st. Louis, and at
the close OF his studies in 1896 he entered
the Conservatolre, where Paer and Les
ueur taught him composition. He made
such rapid progress that he carried on the
second "prix de Rome" FOR his cantata
| marie Stuart ct Rizzio' in the following
year. and also won in E39 the grand
prix de Rome" for his cantata "Fernand'
! This entitled him TO spend the next three
years as peusioner OF the academic Dc
| France in Rome, 10 which city he soor
| afterward went.
While I'm Rome he busted himself chiefly
with the study OF the early Italian church
| music, and more particularly with the
works Of Palestrina, the master, when he
most affected. While In Rome he com
| posed mass for three equal voices anc
| full orchestra, which was performed ir
| May, 1874, and another mass for voices
| alone which was sung at Vienna in 1873
Returning 10 Paris he was made organ
| list and maitre de chapelle OF the Church
| OF the Foreign Missions. and devoted him
| self with zeal 70 sacred music. IL was al
| this period that he eyinced a desire u
| take holy orders with view 20 enterlhs
/ upon a monastic life. With this object ~
view he entered upon the study OF theoi'
| ogy, which he continued for TWO years.
| at the end OF which period. becomlns
| convinced that he was not suited Tor 'hs
| monastery, he relinquished the ldta @nu
resumed the composition OF music. ~
| 1851 four numbers % his 'Messe solehn us.,
le" in G. were introduced IN a oohSeI
| given at ST. Martins hall In - noon,
which were highly praised by al 'h'
| English musical critics.
His first lyric work was "sappho' an
| opera in three acts. ana was proauceu :"
| Paris In 1871. with Mime. Pauline NlaIuo''
Mlle. Poinsot. Gueymard, Marie ana Bra
mont In the cast. IL met with out llo Dl
| ate success IN spite Of a number OK ehaFin'
d., Us mar 4, contains. and when subse-
auen,iy revised was remodeied and re.
| duced 20 two acts. His next operas were
ia Nome Sanglanta." taken from Lewis
novel. 'grhe Monk" and lie Medecin
Mslgrs Lui." from Mollere's comedy &c. o.
th. same name. and then IN March. 1893,
ws. produced at tho Theater Lyrfaue Ms
| rreat work faust" which was suose-