Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/669

GOTTSCHALK. much enhanced by the extraordinary charm, passion, and melancholy of his playing. He began to compose at the age of sixteen, and his 'Bananier,' at one time famous in both hemispheres, dates from this time. Few of his pieces, except a Tarantella for piano and orchestra, often played by Planté, have lived to the present day, and even most of their titles are forgotten. Gottschalk himself is only remembered as an exceptionally gifted virtuoso, whose successes were considerable, but who was not a great artist in the highest sense of the term, since he was never connected with the classical school, and his compositions owe their worth entirely to the charm, freshness, and variety of his playing. [ A. J. ]

GOUNOD,. The following observations are to be added to the article in vol. i. p.613, etc.:&mdash;In spite of the entire failure of 'Polyeucte,' he continued to write new works for the Opéra, where, up to the present time, 'Faust,' originally written for another theatre, has alone held its ground. 'Le Tribut de Zamora' was represented on April 1, 1881, but the opera disappeared from the bills as quickly as 'Polyeucte' had done. He then took up his first opera, 'Sapho,' enlarged it into four acts, added some music, and produced it in this form on Apr. 2, 1884. According to the general opinion the work lost by this treatment, and the only parts which were still pleasing were those in which a certain youthful charm was found in the midst of purely scholastic scoring. The result was not such as the author had wished for, and 'Sapho' was withdrawn after a limited number of representations. For several years past, Gounod has plunged into a religious mysticism, and devoted himself to the composition of great sacred works. The first of these, 'The Redemption,' sketched in 1868, but not finished till 1881, was performed at the Birmingham Festival of 1882, and in Paris, April 3, 1884; the second, 'Mors et Vita,' composed when he was rewriting 'Sapho,' was produced at the Birmingham Festival of 1885, and in Paris May 22, 1886. This new ideal of dramatico-religious music, which he calls 'music treated in the style of fresco' (musique plane et peinte à fresque) seems to have first occurred to Gounod when he turned his attention to religious subjects in order to emulate the reputation of Berlioz's 'Enfance du Christ' and Massenet's 'Marie Magdeleine,' and desired to introduce innovations on the work of his rivals. He has made simplicity an absolute rule. The long recitatives on a single note, or rising and descending by semitones, the solo parts proceeding invariably by the intervals of a third, a sixth, or an octave, while the choral and orchestral parts adhere to incessant reiterations of the same chords; these impart a monotony and a heaviness to the work which must weary the best disposed audience. The same style predominates in the 'Messe à Jeanne d'Arc,' which he declared his intention of composing on his knees in the Cathedral of Rheims on the stone on which Joan of Arc knelt at the coronation of Charles VII. This work was first performed in the Cathedral of Rheims, July 24, 1887, and in the church of S. Eustache in Paris, Nov. 22, 1887, S. Cecilia's Day. A fourth Messe Solennelle and a Te Deum have just been published. When Verdi was made grand officer of the Légion d'honneur in March 1880, Gounod received the same distinction (July 1880); and in January 1881 this title, a most exceptional one for a composer, was conferred on Ambroise Thomas. As neither one nor the other has as yet obtained the 'grand croix,' there can be no cause for jealousy. [See vol. iv. p. 104, where correct statement in line 5 from end of article ../Thomas, Ambroise.] (Died Oct. 18, 1893.) [ A. J. ]

GOW,. Add days of birth and death, March 22, and March 1. To the end of article add that Nathaniel Gow, born at Inver, May 28, 1766, died in Edinburgh, Jan. 19, 1831, wrote the song 'Caller Herrin'.' He held a position in the fashionable world of Edinburgh similar to that held by his father, and in his later years had received a pension from George IV. His brother, Neil, composed the songs 'Flora Macdonald's Lament' and 'Bonnie Prince Charlie.' [ M. ]

GRABU,, or , or sometimes , a French musician, who came to England about 1666, and finding favour with Charles II., whose predilection for everything French was unbounded, was assigned a prominent place in the direction of the Court music, to the great chagrin of John Banister, then 'Master of the Music.' Upon Oct. 1, 1667, he produced at Court an 'English Song upon Peace,' which Pepys, who heard it, criticised very unfavourably, although admitting, at the same time, that 'the instrumental musick he had brought by practice to play very just.' His incapacity both as performer and composer were commented upon by Pelham Humfrey (Pepys, Nov. 15, 1667). His opera, 'Ariadne, or, The Marriage of Bacchus,' originally composed to French text, was produced at Drury Lane, adapted to English words, in 1674. He was selected to compose the music for Dryden's opera, 'Albion and Albanius,' produced at Dorset Garden, June 6, 1685, at great expense, but performed for six nights only. It has been asserted that its failure was occasioned by the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion, the news of which reached London on the last day it was played: the real causes however were the innate worthlessness of both drama and music. Both were published, and readers may therefore judge for themselves. Dryden, in his preface to the piece bestowed some extravagant encomiums upon Grabu, extolling him above all English composers, but a few years later changed his tone and awarded the palm to Purcell. A satirical song upon the piece, ridiculing both author and composer, is contained in Hawkins's History (Novello's edition, 707). It is presumed that Grabu lost his Court appointment at the Revolution, but he seems to have remained in England, as in 1690 he composed the instrumental music for Waller's alteration of Beaumont and Fletcher's 'Maid's Tragedy.' A few songs by him are contained in some of the collections of the period. [ W. H. H. ]