The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-13
CHARLES FRANCOIS GOUNOD.

Lyriaue, and the only critic who gave
GOunod unqualified praise was Paul de
Saint Victor. He called the composer
'chef of the new French school"
Hector BerliOZ. in the Journal des De-
bats, wrote the air 'Salut, demeure
chaste ct pure: Touched my heart. Ii
Is q good sentiment, deep and profound.
1t meTited twenty times as much applause
as it received. The Quatuor is wonder
fully well written; nothing can be sweeter
than the vocal harmony, unless it is the
yelled orchestration. by which it ia accom-
panied. / consider the Quatnor the chef
d'euvre of his work"
The critics called Gounod insane"
"presumptuous" said 'his music is with
out melody" "Without consistency"
"more noise than briltancyW
Nine. Miolan-Carvalho created the role
Of Marguerite, and of her the critics said
''The style is wonderful and the actress
is equal to the singer She rendered the
shave and chaste Marguerite with a grace
and purity which recalls the Francesca of
AIRY Schaffer." Just ten years after Mime.
CarEalho created the role of Marguerite.
1t was sung by Christine Nilsson at the
Theatre ltalien. Theophile Gautier wrote !:
"a comparison between Nine. CarValho
and Mile. Nilsson would be useless. Mile.
Nilsson has reached height attained by
few singers. Half-craZy, trembling with
cald and fear on the straw of her cell, she
rises and seeks heaven with ecstatie de-
lirium, with a feverish ardOr of faith, joy
of the saint and martyr. who is impatient
for death, and the obscure vault Of the
prison sees the starry. luminous heavens"
Nine Carvalho tells me that the re-
hearsals for the first representation of
'FausP' were very long aud laborious.
''They began at o'clock and ended not
before O'Clock in the morning. Every
body was exhausted, and the tenor at the
end of eight days was obliged 10 resign his
role. The Project Of Police sent US word
10 terminate our rehearsals before mid
night, and the iremen Of the tneaier CON-
planned of our zeal The censure demanded
that the entire cathedral scene be sup
pressed, because of the feeling OF the Holy
See. But the Papal Nuncio, Mgr. Segur,
declared that this scene was superb. and
blind as he was each day found him at the
Iehearsals. He presented me prayer
book, splendidiy bound, and asked me TO
hold il in this scene; Of course. this prayer
book is now among my treasures. Before
the first representation GouDod was ollged
10 cut several portions Of the opera, and
L assure you that NagneTlan opera was
never received in Paris with more noisy
dissatisfaction than this chef d'9nvre of
Gounod. The people approved Of the
choruses, but were visibly displeased by
the garden scene"
The last role sung in France by Nine.
- Christine Nilsson was that Of Marguerite,
and relgiously she preserves the bouquet
of yioleis sent her by the Empress and the
diamond marguerite which the Emperor
gave her in person. When GouDod told
Christine Nilsson that she had the appear
auce necessary for this role the singer
went to Nine. Caryalho and said, The
role is yours, and your success has made II
vours, Take il agaiA." Mime. CarValho
embraced Mime. Nilsson and refused. The
latter interpreted the part 10 her own way
and won great applause. 1t was she who
created it in America.
At the thoussndth representation, Mar
guerfte was sung by Nine. Rose Caron,
who interprets the part 10 manner en-
tirely different from that OF her great pre-
decessors. Her rendition is original,
dramatic and a most interesting creation.
Alvarez was Faust, and Delmas Mephis-
tapAeles The apOtheosls OF Gounod Iol-
lowed the prison scene; In The PACK
ground was the monument OIL Gounod Dy
Falguiere. He Is represented seated,
dra0ed in antique fashion. and surrounded
by the muses.. la front were the artists
representing the principal operas. ana
these sang the ''Hymne Gounod, written
by Ambrose Thomas. As may Dc lm-
aRineG, the effect of this scene was very
Imposing.
1t was Nine. Pauline Viardo'. sister OF
the great AIalibTan, who first ENCOURAGED
Gounod TO write for the opera, ana TWO
years after "Sappho" was produced.
Faust was the work of GounOd ana
Jules Barber-that is, Bar bier was liorett.
fist. 1t seems that both believed "Faust
TO be model Of lyric drama. but after the
opera was completed they had great DIM
Guilty to find a publisher. After month
or effort ChOndeus decided to conseerate
10000 francs to the acquisition Of the
work. Not very long after that time
Chondeus exclaimed. "Who would have
believed it possible? Faust has already
earned for me two millionsH M. Barbots