Page:Men of the Time, eleventh edition.djvu/503

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GOUNOD— GOUEKO.

rican Soldiers," 1869 ; " Ancestry of Zacheus Gould/' 1872; and several charts of stars of scarcely less importance than those already noted.

GOUNOD, Ohablbs Francois, composer, was born at Paris, June 17, 1818. After the usual course of training in musical science, and the probationary attempts in com- position common to professional novitiates, M. Gounod became known as a lyric composer for the stage by his pastoral of " Philemon and Baucis." This was followed by "La Nonne Sanglante;" " Sappho,*' a cantata, and ** La Co- lombe." Although these works contained unquestionable marks of genius, none achieved success. In- deed, few composers who have risen to eminence have had more failures at the outset of their career than the author of one of the most suc- cessful of modern operas, *' Faust." It is greatly to the credit of French operatic managers that they should possess the skill to discern latent faculties of a high order, and that they should determine to foster them by affording the possessors every chance of developing their powers, despite a succession of failures at the outset. In this in-, stance, at all events, M. Carvalho, of the TheAtre Lyrique, one of M. Gounod's principal supporters, has proved triumphantiy that his prog- nostications of the ultimate triumph of his friend were WeU foimded. " Faust," although not actually the first successful work of Gx>unod, took all the lovers of operatic music by surprise. What rendered his success more remarkable was the fact that, though Goethe's master- piece had been previously set to music a hundred times, not;one of these efforts was considered worthy of the theme. M. Gounod is the composer, amongst other works, of a comic opera founded on Molifere's " M^cin malgr6 lui," produced in London by the English Opera Com- pany under the titie of the '' Mock

Doctor : " of "La Beine " Mirelle," brought out in 1864 ; " Bomeo and Ji duced at Paris and Londc and " Polyeucte," produ< Grand Op^ra, Paris, Oc He was elected a meml French Institute, section in May, 1866, and was pi the rank of Oommandi Legion of Honour in i His opera, " The Tribute o was produced at the Gi at Paris on April 1, 18^ the following year his sa " The Redemption," was at the Birmingham Mi tival.

GOUBKO (Count), Jo siLYjfevicH, one of the no guished generals of t Turkish war, is of Poll and was born in 1828, an< in the Imperial " Corps < He was created ensign o ment of Hussars or th^ Body Guard in 1846. ] was already captain, ; manded a squadron in regiment, and was mad adjutant to the Emperor he received his colonel' sion. In 1866 Gourkc pointed commander of Hussar regiment of Mai 1867 the Emperor named ] general, and ordered hii his sntite. Then he comn Grenadier regiment of th Guards, and in 1878 the 1 of the 2nd division of the de la Garde. We may Count Gourko took part in inferior ranks, in th( war, being stationed al His late heroic deeds are well known to be minutely we wiU only mention so principal feats of thj general, who coiiunande< guard of the Imperial i the 25th June, 1877, with ment of cavalry and a f tery, he attacked and assault the strong and ]