Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Gounod - A French Composer in London
Researching the Charles Gounod page was interesting - I was relatively ignorant about the development of French music in the 19th Century and the contrast of mood between Faure and Gounod whilst using a much more chromatic approach was particularly thought provoking. It makes the developments of Debussy, Sati and Ravel much more intelligible.
The Ave Maria not an obvious choice a percussion instrumentation but the addition of the harp has fills out the arrangment nicely.
The Funeral March of the Marionette is a natural for this approach and makes me smile each time I listen to it.
The Gallia was a completely new discovery for me - surprisingly the cantata seems to respond well to a drums and synthesizer insrtumentation - a very evocative piece pressaging the imagry of the destruction of modern warfare of Picasso's Guernica by nearly a century.
The latter two works were composed during the time Gounod was staying in London to avoid the ravages of the Franco Prussian war.
The Ave Maria not an obvious choice a percussion instrumentation but the addition of the harp has fills out the arrangment nicely.
The Funeral March of the Marionette is a natural for this approach and makes me smile each time I listen to it.
The Gallia was a completely new discovery for me - surprisingly the cantata seems to respond well to a drums and synthesizer insrtumentation - a very evocative piece pressaging the imagry of the destruction of modern warfare of Picasso's Guernica by nearly a century.
The latter two works were composed during the time Gounod was staying in London to avoid the ravages of the Franco Prussian war.
