Cantatas and sacred music

Bru Zane Label CD-book Prix de Rome
Charles Gounod
BRUSSELS PHILHARMONIC FLEMISH RADIO CHOIR Hervé Niquet conductor with Gabrielle Philiponet, Chantal Santon-Jeffery, Judith van Wanroij, Caroline Meng, Artavazd Sargsyan, Sébastien Droy, Yu Shao, Alexandre Duhamel, Nicolas Courjal
'Prix de Rome' series | Bru Zane
Volume 6 | ES 1030
12/01/2018
2 CDs - 148 pages

An icon of French Romanticism thanks to the enduring popularity of his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette, Charles Gounod competed three times for the prestigious Prix de Rome between 1837 and 1839. Thus he composed three unpublished cantatas for soloists and orchestra, including Marie Stuart et Rizzio and La Vendetta, which he never had the opportunity to hear in performance. Revealed for the first time, these three cantatas, fine examples of French Romanticism, show a young composer with a remarkable flair for opera. In the end Fernand won him the coveted prize, carrying with it the privilege of a three-year stay (from 1840) at the Villa Medici in Rome. While there he produced several sacred compositions, which have also remained unknown until now. His splendid Messe vocale for unaccompanied choir, written in a neo-Palestrinian style, deserves a place on the programme of every vocal ensemble.

Contents of the book
Alexandre Dratwicki, Gounod and the Prix de Rome for composition (1837-1839)
Pierre Sérié, The Villa Medici at the time of Ingres
Dominique Hausfater, Letters from Madame Victoire Gounod to her son (1839-1842)
Charles Gounod, Memories of an artist: Italy
GĂ©rard CondĂ©, ‘Mighty Palestrina, old master, ancient genius’
Texts of the cantatas and the Hymne

Tracklist

CD 1

Marie Stuart et Rizzio (1837)
1- Prélude
2- RĂ©cit : Il ne vient pas !... L’heure s’avance... (Marie)
3- RĂ©cit et duo : C’est moi... c’est Rizzio... (Marie, Rizzio)
4- RĂ©cit : En vain ton amour me rassure ! (Marie)
5- Cantabile : Adieu, douce et belle patrie (Marie, Rizzio)
6- RĂ©cit : Mais le temps fuit... (Marie, Rizzio)
7- Air : Il n’est plus !... Vengeance !

Fernand (1839)
8- Prélude
9- Récit : La nuit a déployé ses voiles (Fernand)
10- RĂ©cit : Je n’entends plus de bruit (Zelmire, Alamir)
11- Duo : Non, Zelmire, un Abencérage (Zelmire, Alamir)
12- Marche et récit : Veillez, soldats ! (Zelmire, Alamir, Fernand)
13- Trio : Sauve Alamir (Zelmire, Alamir, Fernand)
14- Trio (suite) : Zelmire, en de plus doux moments (Zelmire, Alamir, Fernand)
15- Trio (suite) : La route est ouverte (Zelmire, Alamir, Fernand)
16- Trio (suite) : Dieu qui lis dans les coeurs (Zelmire, Alamir, Fernand)

La Vendetta (1838)
17- Prélude
18- RĂ©cit : Le soleil descend sous les eaux (Marcella)
19- Air : S’il savait que sa mĂšre a pleurĂ© son absence ! (Marcella)
20- Récit : Un bruit, au loin, dans les arbres résonne (Marcella, Lucien)
21- Hymne en duo : À genoux ! (Marcella, Lucien)
22- RĂ©cit : Sais-tu bien ce que c’est (Marcella, Lucien)
23- Duo : LĂ -haut, je le vois ! (Marcella, Lucien)

CD 2

Messe vocale
1- Kyrie
2- Gloria
3- Credo
4- Sanctus
5- Benedictus
6- Agnus Dei
7- Christus factus est
8- Hymne sacrée

Messe de Saint-Louis-des-Français
9- Kyrie
10- Gloria
11- Credo
12- Offertoire
13- Sanctus
14- Agnus Dei

See scores Scores list

2.2.2.2./2.2.3.0./timp./strings
Prix de Rome Cantata for soprano, tenor and orchestra
Orchestral score / orchestral parts / reduction for voice and piano
About 20 min.
Palazzetto Bru Zane
Bru Zane Mediabase
Digital resources for French Romantic music
Charles Gounod