Louis Théodore Gouvy

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Louis Théodore Gouvy.

Louis Théodore Gouvy (born July 3, 1819 in Goffontaine, today Saarbrücken-Schafbrücke , †  April 21, 1898 in Leipzig ) was a German - French composer of the Romantic period .

Life and work

Family background

Théodore Gouvy was born in 1819 as the youngest of four children to a wealthy family of French industrialists . His ancestors originally came from Belgium , but his great-grandfather Pierre-Joseph (1715–1768) had settled in Saarland and founded an ironworks east of Saarbrücken in 1751, which he named "Goffontaine" in memory of his Belgian home village near Pepinster . Théodore's father Henry Gouvy continued this hut until his untimely death in 1829, after which Théodore's mother Caroline moved with her sons to relatives in Metz .

Study and stay in Rome

Gouvy first studied law in Paris from 1836 . Since his birthplace Goffontaine had fallen to Prussia four years before his birth due to the Second Peace of Paris , he did not have French citizenship . After he was refused admission to the exam for this reason, he broke off his studies in 1839. His mother had already applied for Gouvy naturalization in 1834, but according to French law she required a ten-year stay in France. When the application was finally successful, Gouvy was already 32 years old.

During his studies Gouvy decided to become a musician, but due to lack of French citizenship, he was denied access to the Conservatoire de Paris . He was therefore forced to take private lessons, among others with Antoine Elwart and Pierre Zimmermann , who were professors at the Conservatory at the time. The first didactic pieces were written in 1841, followed two years later by two studies for piano, which are counted as Gouvys Opus 1 and were reissued in 2002.

During a stay abroad in Rome in 1844, Gouvy was a member of a group of artists around Eduard Franck , Karl Anton Eckert and Niels Wilhelm Gade . After his return to Paris he was friends with the pianist Karl Halle and through him met Frédéric Chopin and Hector Berlioz , among others .

First creative phase: instrumental music

In his early creative phase, Gouvy concentrated on instrumental music: he created a considerable catalog of chamber music and a number of symphonies . His first symphony op. 9 was premiered in Paris in 1847 and received a positive response from the critics, in the same year the Gazette musicale Gouvy was already one of the most important contemporary French composers of instrumental music. Gouvy had lively correspondence with French and German colleagues, including Camille Saint-Saëns , Théodore Dubois , Franz Liszt , Ferdinand Hiller and Johannes Brahms .

Nevertheless, Gouvy had a hard time with the Paris audience and was therefore only able to perform many of his works at his own expense. However, he was repeatedly given the opportunity to perform in Germany and was warmly welcomed there. The Allgemeine deutsche Zeitung described Gouvy as a native of France who knew how to combine German seriousness with the elegance of his fatherland.

In the Journal des Débats of 1851, Berlioz said benevolently about Gouvy:

"Qu'un musicien de l'importance de M. Gouvy soit encore si peu connu à Paris, et que tant de moucherons importunent le public de leur obstiné bourdonnement, c'est de quoi confondre et indigner les esprits naïfs qui croient encore à la raison et à la justice de nos mœurs musicales. »
“The fact that a musician of the rank of Mr. Gouvy is still so little known in Paris, while swarms of mosquitoes pester the audience with their stubborn hum must astonish and outrage the naive spirits who still believe in the understanding and justice of our musical customs . "

In 1862, Gouvy bowed to the expectations of the Parisian music world, which at the time was shaped by Italian opera, by starting work on his first opera, The Cid . After he had completed it in 1863, however, it was not until 1864 that he found a stage in the Saxon Court Theater that showed interest in the work. The well-known tenor Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld was scheduled for the lead role, but demanded numerous changes that forced Gouvy to spend a full year in Dresden . Before the premiere, which was finally planned for October 1865, Schnorr von Carolsfeld died early and surprisingly, the opera was then withdrawn and only premiered in June 2011 at the Saarland State Theater , under the musical direction of Arthur Fagen .

Gouvy found general recognition in Paris late: in 1868 the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire performed his works. In 1873 he was elected to the committee of the Société Nationale de Musique , further honors followed. Nevertheless, Gouvy was disappointed with the long lack of success of his music and therefore rejected the Prix ​​Chartier for the best string quartet out of wounded pride .

Second creative phase: choral music

Grave of Mr. Théodore Gouvy in Hombourg-Haut / Oberhomburg , Lorraine

After his mother's death in 1868, Gouvy moved to Hombourg-Haut / Oberhomburg to the villa of his brother Alexandre and his wife Henriette, who valued Gouvy's work and promoted his work. Musically, this friendship found expression in numerous piano works for four hands. Alexandre made it possible for his wife and brother to spend the period of the Franco-Prussian War in safe Swiss exile. After the Peace of Frankfurt in 1871, Hombourg-Haut / Oberhomburg finally fell to the German Empire.

Gouvy now concentrated on choral works. He began in 1874 with a requiem , which is considered to be one of his most important works. A Stabat mater (1875), a Missa brevis (1882) and various secular cantatas (1881–1894) followed. Since there were hardly any opportunities to perform such works in France at the time, Gouvy finally shifted his work entirely to the big cities of Germany - in particular, he was able to perform his secular choral works repeatedly during the 1880s and 90s and thus made guest appearances in Leipzig , Wiesbaden , Duisburg , Halle , Frankfurt am Main and Frankfurt (Oder) . He returned to Paris for the last time in 1889 for the World's Fair . Gouvy died of a heart attack on one of his concert tours in Leipzig in 1898 , and he was buried in Hombourg-Haut / Oberhomburg.

Oblivion and rediscovery

Gouvy was reluctant to receive recognition during his lifetime; after his death his work was almost completely forgotten for a century. The reason given is often Gouvy 's position between the two cultures, at a time of great tension between Germany and France. In addition, Gouvy's musical interests did not meet the tastes of the Parisian public, which at the time was generally not very open to instrumental music. When Édouard Lalo celebrated his first successes in this field from the 1870s, Gouvy had already turned to choral music.

Style and appreciation

However, critics also speak of the fact that Gouvy lacked originality in all of his craftsmanship and that he did not look for new approaches in style and form. Gouvy instrumental work follows the idea of absolute music , while many of his contemporaries turned to program music and symphonic poetry . He cultivated a classical style and named Joseph Haydn , Ludwig van Beethoven and Robert Schumann as role models. In addition, Gouvy had studied the work of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and was accused of not having emancipated himself sufficiently from it stylistically.

For some contemporary critics, envy of the material wealth of his family may also have played a role, which enabled Gouvy to pursue his compositional interests regardless of the financial success of his works. To this day, the assessment has persisted that Gouvy left behind an extensive work of “masterfully crafted” and “beautiful” music, but due to his not very innovative style he was not to be counted among the “epoch-making masters”. However, there is also the opinion that his symphonic oeuvre, which was largely singular in France at the time, has not yet been properly appreciated.

The Théodore Gouvy Institute

In 1995, the Institut de Louis Théodore Gouvy was founded in the former Villa Alexandre Gouvys in Hombourg-Haut / Oberhomburg . It regards Gouvy's work as an important part of the cultural identity of the Saarland and Lorraine , is currently preparing a new edition of his work and has made a significant contribution to the composer's rediscovery. Gouvy's most frequently performed work today is his Requiem op. 70, which was performed again in 1994 in Paris for the first time in over 100 years. Some chamber music works, piano music for four hands and the Sinfonietta also begin to enjoy greater popularity again. The International Théodore Gouvy Festival has been held annually in Hombourg-Haut since 1995 .

The Theodore Gouvy Gesellschaft e. V. , whose vocal ensemble is used in the Semperoper for the opera “ Der Fliegende Holländer ”. It is under the direction of the conductor Vincent Borrits .

Works

Symphonies

Other orchestral works

  • Le dernier hymn d'Ossian. Ossian's last song. Scène lyrique pour voix de basse avec orchestra, op.15
  • Hymne et marche dans la forme d'une overture, op.35
  • Octet for flute, oboe, two clarinets, two horns and two bassoons, op.71
  • Paraphrases symphoniques: op.90
  • Le Festival (Overture)
  • 4 pieces for string orchestra
  • Swedish Dance, Op. 71
  • Tragic March for organ and orchestra
  • Variations for Orchestra on Theme of Scandinavia
  • Fantaisie Pastorale for violin and orchestra
  • Hymn et marche triomphale

Chamber music (selection)

Piano music

  • Extensive work for piano, for two pianos
  • Works for four hands: Sonata in D minor, op. 36, for piano for four hands

Choral works (selection)

  • A cappella choral works
  • Le Printemps (Spring Awakening) Op．73 (1878)

Spiritual works

Songs (selection)

Cantatas

Operas

  • The cid
  • Mateo Falcone .

Discography

  • Symphony No. 3 in C major, op.20; Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 30 ( cpo 2007: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern , Jacques Mercier)
  • Symphony No. 6 in G minor, Op. 87; Sinfonietta in D major op.80 (cpo 2007: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Jacques Mercier)
  • Symphony No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 9; Symphony No. 2 in F major op.12 (cpo 2008: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Jacques Mercier)
  • Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 25; Fantaisie symphonique ; Symphonie brève op.80 (cpo 2009: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Jacques Mercier)
  • Piano Trios No. 2 & 3 (orfeo 1997)
  • Songs (6 Poesies allemandes de Moritz Hartmann; La Pleiade francaise op.48 Nos. 3, 5, 9; Poesies de Pierre de Ronsard (Ausz.)) Orfeo 1997
  • Iphigénie en Tauride . Dramatic scene for solos, choir + orchestra, op.7 Christine Maschler, soprano - Iphigénie Vinzenz Haab, baritone - Orest Benjamin Hulett, tenor - Pylades Ekkehard Abele, bass - Thoas Kantorei Saarlouis La Grande Société Philharmonique Joachim Fontaine (cpo 2006)
  • Oedipe à Colone . Dramatic oratorio for solos, choir + orchestra, op.75 (cpo 2013; Christa Ratzenböck, soprano - Antigone Vinzenz Haab, baritone - Oedipus Joseph Cornwall, tenor - Polyneikes Stephen Roberts, baritone - Theseus Kantorei Saarlouis La Grande Société Philharmonique Joachim Fontaine)
  • Requiem for solos, choir + orchestra, op. 70; Eveil you printemps . Cantata for voice, male choir + orchestra, op.73 (Spring Awakening) Requiem: Sheri Greenawald, soprano, Elsa Maurus, mezzo-soprano, Gérard Garino, tenor, Manfred Hemm, bass Schola cantorum, Vienna Philharmonie de Lorraine Jacques Houtmann; Eveil du printemps: Sheri Greenawald, soprano Chœur d'hommes de Hombourg-Haut Philharmonie de Lorraine Jacques Houtmann K617 CD K 617046
  • Stabat mater ; Cantat egill ; Stabat Mater: Inva Mula, soprano, Sophie Pondjiclis, mezzo-soprano, Huw Rhys-Evans, tenor, Evangelische Kantorei Saarlouis Philharmonie de Lorraine Olivier Holt; Cantate Egill: Huw Rhys-Evans, tenor Thierry Félix, baritone Chœur d'Hommes Hombourg-Haut Philharmonie de Lorraine Olivier Holt K617 CD K617067
  • Sérénades for flute and strings : Serenade for flute , string quartet and double bass in D minor; Serenade for flute, string quartet + double bass No. 1 in G major, op. 82; Serenade for flute, string quartet and double bass No. 2 in F major, op.84 Markus Brönnimann, flute, Kreisler Quartet, Ilka Emmert, double bass; Danse suédoise for flute + piano; Introduction et polonaise for flute and piano Markus Brönnimann, flute, Michael Kleiser, piano Toccata Classics CD TOCC 0185
  • Musique de chambre pour vents : septet for flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons; Octet for flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons and 2 horns: Petite suite gauloise for flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons, op.90 Les Solistes de Prades K617 CD K617160
  • String quintet “Quintette à deux violoncelles” N ° 6 Quintets Denis Clavier; Piano trio No. 2 in A minor, op.18 quintet Denis Clavier, members Anaël Bonnet, piano K617 CD K617246
  • Feuillets intimes de Hombourg-Haut : piano quintet , op. 24 Quatuor Denis Clavier Dimitris Saroglou, piano; Songs: À qui m'avez-vous donné? ( Philippe Desportes ), Des beaux yeux de ma Diane (Desportes), Que dites-vous, que faites-vous, Mignonne? ( Pierre de Ronsard ), Regrets (Desportes), Rosette (Ronsard), Vous ne voulez pas (Desportes) Cyrille Gerstenhaber, soprano Hélène Lucas, piano; String Quartet, op.68 Quatuor Denis Clavier K617 CD 054
  • Louis Théodore Gouvy: Piano music four hands Duo Tal & Groethuysen Sony CD SK 53110 - Prize of the German Record Critics 1994
  • Théodore Gouvy: cantatas, symphonic works, chamber music . Palazzetto Bru Zane 2014, ISBN 978-84-939-6867-0

Awards

literature

  • Joachim Fontaine:  Gouvy, (Louis) Théodore. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 7 (Franco - Gretry). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 2002, ISBN 3-7618-1117-9 , Sp. 1440 ( online edition , subscription required for full access)
  • Herbert Schneider (Ed.): Théodore Gouvy 1819–1898. Report on the International Congress / Actes du Colloque international Saarbrücken / Hombourg-Haut (= musicological publications; vol. 29). Olms, Hildesheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-487-13541-0 .
  • Wolfgang Birtel: On the personality and work of the “Saarland” composer Theodor Gouvy (1819-1898). In: Mitteilungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Mittelrheinische Musikgeschichte 38 (1979), pp. 463–472.
  • Otto Klauwell , Theodor Gouvy: His life and his works , Harmonie, Berlin, 1902.

Web links

Information on biography and work

Notes and audio samples

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.saarland-biografien.de/frontend/php/result_detail.php?id=1331 , accessed on July 3, 2019.
  2. ^ A b c Joachim Fontaine:  Gouvy, (Louis) Théodore. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 7 (Franco - Gretry). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 2002, ISBN 3-7618-1117-9 , Sp. 1440 ( online edition , subscription required for full access)
  3. ↑ René Auclair: Théodore Gouvy . Supplement to the Théodore Gouvy CD : Quatuor à cordes en sol majeur et Quintette en sol majeur opus 55 , Quatuor Denis Clavier (performer), Collection Mémoire Musicale de la Lorraine, Distribution Musisoft, 1999
  4. ^ Review of the performance by the Neue Musikzeitung , accessed on June 5, 2011.
  5. ^ Katharina Müller: Théodore Gouvy . Supplement to the CD French wind music in the Lichtenwalde Baroque Garden , Saxon Wind Academy (performers), Auris Subtilis, 2006
  6. ↑ https://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/saarland/saar-kultur/sylvain-teutsch-will-den-kompisten-theodore-gouvy-wieder-bekannt-machen_aid-39806081 , accessed on July 6, 2019.
  7. ^ Theodore Gouvy Society (accessed on January 16, 2019)
  8. ↑ World premiere on June 3, 2011 in Saarbrücken
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on February 16, 2007 .
personal data
SURNAME Gouvy, Louis Théodore
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French composer
DATE OF BIRTH July 3, 1819
PLACE OF BIRTH Goffontaine, today Saarbrücken-Schafbrücke
DATE OF DEATH April 21, 1898
Place of death Leipzig