Charles Gounod (1818-1893) was a French composer, best known for his Ave Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Gounod (1818-1893) was a French composer, best known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.
Gounod wrote his first opera, Sapho, in 1851, with the help of Pauline Viardot, but had no great theatrical success until Faust (1859), based on the play by Goethe. This remains his best-known work, and although it took a while to achieve great renown, it eventually became one of the most frequently staged operas of all time. The romantic and highly melodious Roméo et Juliette (based on the Shakespeare play), premiered in 1867, is also performed and recorded now and then, even though it has never come close to matching Faust's popularity. Mireille of 1864, a charming and graceful composition, has been admired by connoisseurs rather than by the general public.
Later in his life, Gounod returned to his early religious impulses, writing much religious music. His earlier work included an improvisation of a melody over the C major Prelude (BWV 846) from The Well-Tempered Clavier, to which in 1859 Gounod set the words of Ave Maria, resulting in his composition Ave Maria, a setting that became world-famous. He also wrote a Pontifical Anthem, now the official national anthem of the Vatican City.
In 1893, apparently shortly after he had put the finishing touches to a requiem written for his grandson, he died in Saint-Cloud, France.
One of his short pieces, Funeral March of a Marionette, became well known as the theme to Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Gounod wrote his first opera, Sapho, in 1851, with the help of Pauline Viardot, but had no great theatrical success until Faust (1859), based on the play by Goethe. This remains his best-known work, and although it took a while to achieve great renown, it eventually became one of the most frequently staged operas of all time. The romantic and highly melodious Roméo et Juliette (based on the Shakespeare play), premiered in 1867, is also performed and recorded now and then, even though it has never come close to matching Faust's popularity. Mireille of 1864, a charming and graceful composition, has been admired by connoisseurs rather than by the general public.
Later in his life, Gounod returned to his early religious impulses, writing much religious music. His earlier work included an improvisation of a melody over the C major Prelude (BWV 846) from The Well-Tempered Clavier, to which in 1859 Gounod set the words of Ave Maria, resulting in his composition Ave Maria, a setting that became world-famous. He also wrote a Pontifical Anthem, now the official national anthem of the Vatican City.
In 1893, apparently shortly after he had put the finishing touches to a requiem written for his grandson, he died in Saint-Cloud, France.
One of his short pieces, Funeral March of a Marionette, became well known as the theme to Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
07Faust Act 1 No.5 Chouer : "Vin ou biere" - Gounod : Faust : Act 1 "Vin ou bière!" [Wagner, Chorus]4:58Charles Gounod
12Gonoud : Faust : Act 1 "Merci de ta chanson!" [Chorus, Valentin, Wagner, Méphistophélès, Siébel]2:45Charles Gounod
13Gounod : Faust : Act 1 "De l'enfer qui vient émousser" [Siébel, Valentin, Wagner, Chorus]2:25Charles Gounod
15Gounod : Faust : Act 1 "Ainsi que la brise légère" [Siébel, Faust, Méphistophélès, Chorus]2:51Charles Gounod
16Gounod : Faust : Act 1 "Ne permettrez-vous pas" [Faust, Méphistophélès, Marguerite, Siébel, Chorus]3:56Charles Gounod
23Gounod : Faust : Act 2 "Je voudrais bien savoir...Il était un roi de Thulé" [Marguerite]6:29Charles Gounod
26Gounod : Faust : Act 2 "Dame Marthe Schwerlein" [Méphistophélès, Marthe, Faust, Marguerite]2:31Charles Gounod
27Gounod : Faust : Act 2 "Prenez mon bras" [Faust, Marguerite, Méphistophélès, Marthe]7:15Charles Gounod
32Gounod : Faust : Act 2 "Tenez! Elle ouvre sa fenêtre" [Méphistophélès, Marguerite, Faust]3:33Charles Gounod
40Gounod : Faust : Act 3 "Seigneur, daignez permettre" [Marguerite, Méphistophélès, Chorus]9:51Charles Gounod
43Gounod : Faust : Act 3 "Que voulez-vous, messieurs?" [Valentin, Faust, Méphistophélès]4:24Charles Gounod
44Gounod : Faust : Act 3 "Par ici! ... par ici, mes amis!" [Marthe, Marguerite, Valentin, Siébel, Chorus]1:44Charles Gounod
45Gounod : Faust : Act 3 "Écoute-moi bien, Marguerite!" [Valentin, Marthe, Siébel, Chorus]5:24Charles Gounod
48Gounod: Faust : Act 4 "Jusqu' aux premiers feux" [Méphistophélès, Faust, Chorus]3:50Charles Gounod
55Gounod : Faust : Act 4 "Alerte! alerte!" [Méphistophélès, Marguerite, Faust, Chorus]6:37Charles Gounod
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Gounod : Faust
Charles Gounod Lyrics
To view the lyrics for a particular track, select it from the track list above, or search for it.