Louis Théodore Gouvy

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

• 2.1 Style and appreciation
• 2.2 The Institute Théodore Gouvy

• 7.1 Information about life and work
• 7.2 notes and Clips

Life and work

Family background

Théodore Gouvy was born in 1819 as the youngest of four children of a wealthy family of French industrialists. His ancestors were originally from Belgium, his great-grandfather Pierre -Joseph, however, had settled in the Saar and in 1751 east of Saarbrücken founded an ironworks, which he gave the name " Goffontaine " in memory of its Belgian home village. Theodore's father Henry Gouvy led this cabin until his untimely death in 1829 continue, then pulled Theodore's mother Caroline with her sons to relatives in Metz.

Studies and stay in Rome

Gouvy studied 1836 first law in Paris. Since his birthplace Goffontaine had fallen four years before his birth, due to the second Peace of Paris to Prussia, however, he did not have French citizenship. After the admission he had been denied the exam because of this, he broke off his studies in 1839. To naturalization Gouvys his mother had tried in 1834, she sat under French law, however, a ten-year stay in France ahead. When the application finally succeeded, Gouvy was already 32 years old.

While studying Gouvy to become a musician, but his lack of French citizenship, access to the Conservatoire de Paris was denied decided. He was therefore forced to take private lessons, including Antoine Elwart and Pierre Zimmermann, who were at that time professors at the conservatory. First of doctrine originated in 1841, and two years later was followed by two Etudes for Piano, which are counted as Gouvys Opus 1, and were reissued in 2002.

During a stay abroad in Rome 1844 Gouvy member of a circle of artists to Eduard Franck, Karl Anton Eckert and Niels Wilhelm Gade. After his return to Paris he was friends with the pianist Charles Hall and learned about this know, among other Frédéric Chopin and Hector Berlioz.

First creative phase: Instrumental

In his first creative phase Gouvy focused 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 well received by the critics, the same year was one of the Gazette musicale Gouvy already one of the most important contemporary French composer of instrumental music. Gouvy maintained a 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 Parisian public and could therefore perform many of his works only at their own expense. He was, however, repeated the opportunity to perform in Germany, and was admitted warmer there. The General German newspaper called Gouvy as a native Frenchman who understand it, to join German Ernst with the elegance of his country.

In the Journal of Débats Berlioz commented favorably on the 1851 Gouvy:

1862 Gouvy bent to the expectations of the Parisian musical world that was dominated at that time by the Italian opera by he started work on his first opera, The Cid. After he had completed in 1863, but it was not until 1864 with the Saxon court theater a stage that was interested in the work. The famous tenor Ludwig Schnorr von Carol box was provided for the lead role, but demanded numerous changes to Gouvy forced to spend a whole year in Dresden. Even before finally scheduled for October 1865 premiere Schnorr died of Carol Field early and surprisingly, the opera was subsequently withdrawn and only came in June 2011 at the Saarland State Theatre premiered under the baton of Arthur Fagen.

General recognition was Gouvy in Paris late: So led 1868, the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire his works on. In 1873 he was elected to the Committee of the Société Nationale de Musique, additional honors followed. Nevertheless Gouvy was disappointed by the failure to be long success of his music and therefore rejected in 1875 damaged pride the Prix Chartier for the best string quartet from.

Second period of creativity: Choral Music

After his mother 's death in 1868 Gouvy moved to Hombourg- skin in the villa of his brother Alexandre and his wife Henriette, the estimated Gouvys work and promoted his work. Musically found this friendship among other things, numerous piano works for four hands precipitation. Alexandre allowed the two to spend the time of the Franco-German war together in a safe exile in Switzerland. After the Peace of Frankfurt of 1871 finally fell also Hombourg- skin on Germany.

Gouvy now focused on choral works. He began 1874 with a Requiem, which is considered one of his most important works. This was followed by a Stabat Mater (1875 ), a Missa brevis (1882 ) and various secular cantatas ( 1881-1894 ). Since in France was at that time hardly any possibilities to perform such works, Gouvy finally shifted his work entirely to the major cities of Germany - in particular he could his secular choral works during the 1880s and 90s repeatedly perform and toured with it in Leipzig, Wiesbaden, MA, Hall, Frankfurt am Main and Frankfurt ( Oder). After Paris, he returned in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition for the last time back. Gouvy died on one of his concert tours in Leipzig in 1898 of a heart attack, he was buried in Hombourg- skin.

Oblivion and rediscovery

During his lifetime Gouvy was only slowly given recognition; after his death, his work was a century almost completely forgotten. The reason for this often Gouvys position between the two cultures led to a time of great tension between Germany and France. In addition, not met Gouvys musical interests the taste of the Parisian public, who was not very open-minded in general at that time compared to instrumental music. As Édouard Lalo from the 1870s, then celebrated its first successes in this area, Gouvy had already turned to the choir music.

Style and appreciation

However, critics are also talking that it lacked Gouvy at all technical skill of originality and that he had not wanted in style and form new ways. Gouvys instrumental work follows entirely the idea of absolute music, while many of his contemporaries, the program turned towards music and symphonic poem. He used a classic style and called Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Robert Schumann as role models. In addition Gouvy had studied the works of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, and it was accused that he had not sufficiently stylistically emancipated from this.

Some contemporary critics envy may have played a role in the material prosperity of his family, which allowed Gouvy, regardless of the financial success of his works to follow his compositional interests. To date, the assessment has held that Gouvy have left an extensive body of work " masterfully crafted " and " beautiful " music, whether as a result of his little innovative style but not to count among the " epoch-making masters ." However, there is also the view that his largely singular in France of his time symphonic oeuvre will not adequately appreciated.

The Institute Théodore Gouvy

In 1995, the Institut de Louis Théodore Gouvy was founded in Hombourg-Haut, located in the former Villa Alexandre Gouvys. It looks Gouvys work as an important part of the cultural identity of Lorraine, is currently preparing a new edition of his work and has contributed significantly to the rediscovery of the composer. The most frequently performed works today Gouvys is his Requiem op.70, which was performed in Paris in 1994 for the first time in over 100 years. Also, some chamber music, four-hand piano music and the Sinfonietta begin to enjoy greater popularity again.

Work Overview

• Six received complete symphonies
• A lost, a short as well as a Symphony Sinfonietta (1885 )
• Four duo sonatas, five trios, quartets eleven, seven Quintets
• Extensive work for piano, also for four hands / for Two Pianos
• A cappella choral works
• Requiem (1874 )
• Stabat mater ( 1875)
• 40 poems by Ronsard (1876 )
• Missa brevis (1882 )
• Cantata Golgotha
• Five dramatic cantatas: Oedipus at Colonus (1881 ), Iphigenia in Tauris (1882 ), Egille (1886 ), Elektra (1892 ) and Polyxena (1894 )
• Two operas ( The Cid, premiere on June 3, 2011 in Saarbrücken and Mateo Falcone, never performed )

Discography

• Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op 20, Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, Op 30 ( cpo 2007)
• Symphony No. 6 in G minor, Op 87; Sinfonietta in D major op 80 ( cpo 2007: German Radio Philharmonic Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Jacques Mercier )
• Symphony No. 1 in E flat major op 9; Symphony No. 2 in F, Op 12 ( cpo 2008: ditto)
• Piano Trio No.2 & 3 ( orfeo 1997)
• Iphigenie en Tauride op.7 ( cpo 2006)
• Théodore Gouvy: cantatas, symphonic works, chamber music. Palazzetto Bru Zane 2014, ISBN 978-84-939-6867-0

Awards