Charles Gounod

Charles-François GounodProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 284K words
Chapters: 29

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Charles Gounod by Charles GounodAuthor: Gounod, Charles, 1818-1893,Language: English, Class: ML: Music: Literature of music, Release Date: Apr 10, 2011

Editor's review

This English-language booklet centers on the composer Charles Gounod and belongs to the literature of music, released free by Project Gutenberg. Its appeal lies in presenting materials related to Gounod himself, offering glimpses of the creative ideas and musical career of the composer of Faust. It is short and well suited as an introductory supplementary read for readers interested in nineteenth-century French opera and sacred music. Readers should not expect a systematic biography or in-depth music theory analysis; it is better treated as a primary or near-primary source on Gounod and his music, ideally enjoyed alongside recordings of his major works. The English text is generally plain, though it involves musical terminology and historical names and requires some patience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical music lovers interested in nineteenth-century French opera and Gounod's works
Music students hoping to understand the composer's creative ideas
Biography readers who enjoy primary textual materials by composers
General readers with basic English who wish to expand their reading of music literature

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic composer biography and chronological study of works
Complete beginners with no knowledge of classical music or basic background
Readers expecting detailed score analysis or performance guidance

Reading tips

Learn about Gounod's major works first; the text will read more smoothly afterward
Listen to excerpts from Faust and other works while reading to connect text and sound
Look up musical terms and historical names as you go and make brief notes
The text is short; read it in two or three sessions and jot down a few points after each

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book an autobiography written by Gounod?

According to the materials, the book is credited to Gounod himself and is a music-literature text compiled from writings related to the composer. It is not a strict, complete autobiography but rather material centered on his life and work; it is best read alongside other biographical sources.

Do I need to know music theory to read it?

Not strictly. The text is mainly narrative and involves limited musical terminology; basic familiarity with classical music is enough. If you know nothing about opera and sacred music, consider listening to some Gounod works or reading a brief biography first.

Is the English difficult?

The style is generally that of nineteenth- to early twentieth-century English literature, with longer sentences but not obscure ones. University-level English reading ability should suffice; look up musical terms and historical names as needed, and close word-by-word reading is unnecessary.

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About the author

Charles-François Gounod Author · French · 1818–1893

Charles Gounod (1818–1893) was a French composer, born in Paris in 1818 and died at Saint-Cloud in 1893. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won the Prix de Rome. His best-known work is the opera Faust, and he also wrote operas such as Mireille and Roméo et Juliette. Beyond opera, Gounod composed a large body of sacred music, songs and oratorios, drawing on religious and literary subjects; his style is marked by flowing melody, gentle harmony and a blend of lyricism and drama. His works hold an important place in nineteenth-century French music and have influenced later opera and sacred music. The library holds three of his works, including Mémoires d'un artiste, Faust: A Lyric Drama in Five Acts and related biographical material. Public information is limited, and his life is presented mainly through his music and its influence.