Théodore Gouvy
About the composer
Théodore Gouvy (1819 – 1896) was born a German in the (then German) Lorraine area of France, but applied for the French nationality as early as 1834. His naturalization to the French nationality, however, was not effected until 1851.
In later years he lived alternately in Paris and in the German Saar area. Gouvy knew or befriended composers like Lalo, Gounod and Saint-Saëns. He composed about 160 works, amongst which symphonies, some masses and a requiem. An opera proved to be unsuccessful, after which he restricted himself to a number of dramatic cantatas.
One of the reasons for the fact that he is almost completely forgotten nowadays might be, that as an inhabitant of a border region that had been switched repeatedly between the two countries, he was not really at home in either France or Germany.
About the Stabat Mater
| Date: | 1875 |
| Performers: | Soprano, alto, tenor, choir and orchestra |
| Length: | 45.26 minutes |
| Particulars: | The composition is in seven sections, varying from 1 to 5 stanzas. Compared to many other Stabat Maters the orchestra plays an important part. The love of the composer for dramatic scenes is clearly heard. It does remind you of the young Verdi, notwithstanding the opening fugue and the grand fugue that ends the work. |
| Textual variations: | The "Analecta"-text is used, with as only change: - Stanza 16, line 2: not "Passionis eius sortem" but "Passionis fac consortem" |
| Colour bar: |
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CD information
| CD 1: | K.617 067: Mémoire musical de la Lorraine: Théodore Gouvy |
| About this CD: | The CD is devoted to the musical heritage of the Lorraine region, in this case focused on the composer Gouvy. |
| Orchestra: | La Philharmonie de Lorraine |
| Choir: | Evangelische Kantorei Saar-Louis + Choeur d'Hommes de Hombourg-Haut |
| Conductor: | Olivier Holt |
| Soloists: | Inva Mula, soprano |
| Other works: | Gouvy: Cantate Egill |
| Code: | GOU-01 |
| CD 2: | Théodore Gouvy, Stabat Mater, opus 65 |
| About this CD: | This very special CD (it looks like a cigar box!) has been recorded in honor of the “Year of Gouvy”. The box contains pieces of the score, pictures of Gouvy and copies of newspaper clippings about his burial. It was clearly meant to be given as a present and is not for sale. |
| Orchestra: | Randstedelijk Begeleidingsorkest |
| Choir: | Christelijke Oratorium Vereniging Ex Animo |
| Conductor: | Wim de Ru |
| Soloists: | Diane Verdoodt, soprano |
| Other works: | Gouvy: Symphony nr.6 in g, opus 87 |
| Code: | 1998 GOU-02 |
