Topic: Benjamin Godard [1849-1895] - pas imazhit pasqyrë

[Scion7]

French composer of Jewish ancestry, who admired Beethoven, despised Wagner, and whose music is in the Mendelssohn/Schumann mode.
He was a child prodigy on the violin, and as an adult studied under Henri Vieuxtemps.
His work, Le Tasse (dramatic symphony for chorus, soloists, and orchestra), was awarded the Prix de la Ville de Paris in 1878.  He was named Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur in 1889.
Basically overlooked, like so many others, after his premature death from tuberculosis.


     Chamber Music
====================================
String Quartet in g, Op.33 (1876)
String Quartet in A, Op.37 (1877)
String Quartet in A, Op.136 (1892)
Piano Trio, Op.32  (1875)
Piano Trio in F, Op.72  (1883)
2 morceaus, Op.36 (1877), for Cello & Piano
Sonata for Violin & Piano in c, Op.1 (1866)
Sonata for Violin & Piano in a, Op.2 (1866)
Sonata for Violin & Piano in g, Op.9 (1869)
Sonata for Violin & Piano in A, Op.12 (1872)
Sonata for Violin & Piano in d, Op.78
Valse for Piano & Clarinet, Op.116
Sonata in d, Op.104 (1887) for Cello & Piano
Première Sonata, for solo Violin  (1873)
Scènes écossaises, for Oboe & Piano, Op.138  (1892)
Légende et scherzo, Op.3  (1867)
Suite de 3 morceaux, for Piano & Flute (1889)
Six Duets for Violin & Piano, Op.18  (1872)
Aubade, for Violin & Cello (1874)
Four morceaux, for String Trio, Op.5  (1868)
En plein air: Suite de 5 morceaux (1893)


       Orchestral
================================================
Symphony Nr.1 (?)
Symphony 'Gothique', Op.23 (1874)
Piano Concerto Nr.1 in A, Op.31  (1875)
Concerto romantique for Violin & Orchestra, Op.35  (1876)
Scènes poétiques, Op.46  (1878)
Introduction and allegro, Piano & Orch, Op.49 (1881)
3 morceaux: Marche funèbre, Brésilienne, Kermesse, Op.51  (1879)
Symphonie-ballet, Op.60  (1881)
Aubade et scherzo, Op.61 (1881)
Symphony 'Orientale', Op.84 (1883)
Suite de danses anciennes et modernes, Op.103 (c.1890)
Violin Concerto Nr.2 in g, Op.131,  (1891)
Fantaisie persane, for Piano & Orchestra (1896)
Piano Concerto Nr.2 in G, Op.148  (1893)


      Piano Music
===================================
 Les contes de Perrault, Op.6, 1867 (1868)
 Fragments poètiques, Op.13, 1869 (1873)
 3 morceaux: Menuet, Andante, Gavotte, Op.16 (1874)
 12 études artistiques, Op.42 (1878)
 Lanterne magique, in five parts (1869–93 (1880–)
 Chemin faisant, 6 morceaux, Op.53, 1879 (1880)
 20 pièces, Op.58, 1881 (1887)
 Sonate fantastique, Op.63, 1881 (1883)
 Sonata no.2, Op.94 (1884)
 12 nouvelles études artistiques, Op.107, 1884–8 (1892 ?)
 12 pièces, Op.112
 [12] Scènes italiennes, Op.126, 1890–91 (1891)
 Impressions de campagne, Op.123, 1890–92 (1893)
 Fantaisie, Op.143 (1893)
 Etudes enfantines, Op.149, 1893 (1894)
 Etudes mélodiques (1894)
 Etudes rhythmiques (1894)
 Etudes de concert (1894)
Piano 4 hands: [4] Pièces symphoniques, Op.28, (1880)
 [6] Contes de la veillée, Op.67 (1882)
2 pf: Duo symphonique, 1877 (1879)

        Opera - Jocelyn, Op.100, also Les Guelfes, Dante, Jeanne d'Arc, Ruy Blas, La vivandiere, Pedro de Zalamea


Scènes écossaises, arranged for Oboe & Orchestra, Op.138

[Scion7]

[Scion7]

[Scion7]

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/notes/68043-B.pdf

[Scion7]

[Scion7]

 

[Scion7]

 

[springrite]

 

I have only the violin concerto CD (NAXOS) and this CD which I love.

[Scion7]

Read with Google Translate if French is not part of your known languages:

https://www.on-mag.fr/index.php/topaudio/musique/14572-cd-sonates-pour-violon-et-piano-de-benjamin-godard

  &

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/godard-violin-sonatas

[Scion7]

 

[pjme]

Godard's opera Dante is complete on YouTube in a Palazetto Bru Zane performance :https://youtu.be/-8yaOf894sk


Read more at : http://www.bru-zane.com/?concerti=dante&lang=fr&lang=en

Born in Florence in 1265, Dante Alighieri was both a poet and a significant political figure who worked actively to maintain the independence of his city in the face of papal ambitions. But he continues to be known mainly for his Divine Comedy, which narrates, by way of a long poetic passage, his journey into the three realms beyond the tomb.

Godard’s opera, composed in 1890, skilfully juxtaposes political developments – crowd scenes in Florence and the feud between Guelphs and Ghibellines – and the expression of medieval courtly love. In the opera Gemma, a young girl married to the protagonist out of duty and then abandoned, becomes the close friend of the beloved woman, Beatrice, of whom she is also the secret rival. The most remarkable aspect of this opera, though, is the insertion of a ‘Vision’, a kind of synthesis of the Divine Comedy set to music. Act three thus ranges between an imaginary Hell and Paradise, with sections bearing titles such as Apparition de Virgile, Choeur des Damnés, Tourbillon infernal, Divine Clarté and Apothéose de Béatrice. Godard here appears at the peak of his melodic inspiration and his overall compositional mastery, in a style that swings between Gounod and Massenet. The vocal quintet called for in the opera perfectly captures all the heroic and expressive potential of singers well-versed in Wagner and Verdi. The Palazzetto Bru Zane is presenting Dante in the form of a concert, thereby highlighting its division into sharply contrasted tableaux and a series of dramatic shifts that at times resemble the oratorio form. For this occasion, the Centre de Musique Romantique Française team has created the first modern edition of the orchestral score, working from Godard’s original manuscript.
Production Palazzetto Bru Zane
Recording by the Palazzetto Bru Zane for the Opéra français series
In partnership with the Munich Radio Orchestra

Here is the duet Beatrice - Dante with Véronique Gens and Edgaras Montvidas : "Je t'aime, je t'aime..."

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/RZRwnCinNys" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/RZRwnCinNys</a>

[mc ukrneal]

 

I enjoy that disc. It was relatively cheap at Berkshire at one time, but not there currently.

[Scion7]

Yes, I do like the piano music - he's a solid composer.  I came to his music fairly recently and was pleasantly surprised.

[Scion7]

^MP3 download

physical CD:  http://www.lafollia.com/Commande/commande.html

'En plein air', Suite pour violon et piano, Op.145  [1893]
I. A l’ombre
II. Sous la charmille
III. En regardant le ciel
IV. Danse rustique
V. La fée du hallier





snyprrr forced to listen and follow along with the score:

. . . while Mirror Image awaits his turn in the chair . . .

[pjme]

A bicyclette....from Montlignon to Paris ( ca 35-40 km). Good!

Only French - but some interesting photographs: https://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/g/godard_benjamin.html



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/XVsR5rEqoJo" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/XVsR5rEqoJo</a>

For ages Godard's one hit wonder... Many a tear was shed when John McCormack started pulling at the heartstrings....

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/yuNe-2BlepQ" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/yuNe-2BlepQ</a>

Couldn'find much on Jocelyn on the internet.

This synopsis isnt too bad.
Jocelyn is based on a hyper-romantic poem by Lamartine the plot of which is complicated but basically this:

While fleeing the horrors of the French Revolution,Jocelyn, a young seminarian without a true calling is asked to watch over an "angelic teenager" by a man he's met in his flight.  This man is soon killed by soldiers leaving the seminarian to raise the boy who becomes the center of his life.  The lullaby (berceuse) is the seminarian's to the "angelic teenager" as they live in hiding in a mountain refuge.

Complicated operatic plot follows and includes finding out the boy is not a boy, but a young girl, the couple falling in love (Their love remains chaste...), the seminarian forced into becoming a priest in order to properly hear the final confession of a dying bishop (and thus save him from damnation), the newly ordained priest vowing to honor his vows of priesthood and not returning to his love. Laurence marries against her will, becomes a widow, leads a life of "coquetterie"...and becomes gravely ill.

After many years and a life of hardship - yet inspired by his faith - Jocelyn returns to the Grenoble mountains. He finds Laurence, now " a fallen angel".... who dies in his arms.
Later Jocelyn, a broken man, takes care of patients during an epidemic. He dies.

So, the seminarian's name is Jocelyn and the girl's name is Laurence! (remember, she was thought to be a young man) .'Laurence' in France is a girl's name. The male equivalent is 'Laurent'. Confusing for English speakers....

Cachés dans cet asile où Dieu nous a conduits,
Unis par le malheur, durant les longues nuits
Nous reposons tous deux endormis sous les voiles
Ou prions aux regards de tremblantes étoiles.
   
Oh ne t'éveille pas encor
Pour qu'un bel ange de ton rêve
En déroulant son long fil d'or,
Enfant, permette qu'il s'achève.
Dors, dors, le jour à peine a lui.
Vierge Sainte, veillez sur lui.

Sous l'aile du Seigneur loin du bruit de la foule
Et comme un flot sacré qui doucement s'écoule
Nous avons vu les jours passer après les jours
Sans jamais nous lasser d'implorer son secours.



Beneath the quiv'ring leaves, where shelter comes at last,
All sadness sinks to rest, or glides into the past;
Her sweet eyes prison'd now, in their soft silken bars,
O! my love, calm she sleeps beneath the trembling stars.

Ah! wake not yet from thy repose,
A fair dream spirit hovers near thee,
Weaving a web of gold and rose,
Through dream land's happy isles to bear thee!
Sleep, love, it is not yet the dawn,
Angels guard thee, sweet love, til morn!

Far from the noisy throng, by song birds lulled to rest,
Where rock the branches high by breezes soft carres'd;
Softly the days go on, by sorrow all unharm'd,
Thus may life be to thee a sweet existence charm'd.