Charles François Gounod

Timothy Flynn (Olivet Nazarene University)
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Charles François Gounod (born 18 June 1818; died 18 October 1893) is one of many nineteenth-century French composers who is remembered by audiences for a limited number of compositions; however, there is much more to this prolific, complex, and unique composer. Gounod is among those credited with laying the foundations of modern French music, and his work influenced generations of composers during the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. He was best known during his lifetime as a composer of sacred music and opera, and was a significant influence upon composers such as Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) and even Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Jules Massenet (1842-1912), and Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Gounod’s contribution to the genre of

mélodie

is of…

1998 words

Citation: Flynn, Timothy. "Charles François Gounod". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 July 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1821, accessed 09 October 2024.]

1821 Charles François Gounod 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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