Maurice Ravel considered Charles Gounod the true founder of French melody, stating that the musical renewal around 1880 had no more valid precursor than Gounod.
Composer Biography
Pierre-Joseph-Guillaume Zimmermann, who taught many pianists at the Paris Conservatoire, became Charles Gounod's father-in-law.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Charles Gounod, despite the rise of Italian opera and Wagnerism, laid the foundation for a typical French style, seeking clarity, balance, and restraint in his music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The album's common thread is the quest for a typical French style, with Charles Gounod seen as its instigator and example.
Composer Biography
Charles Gounod, known for his operas and religious music, was a frequent visitor to Parisian salons in the 1830s, which were hubs of artistic life.
Composer Biography
Charles-Valentin Alkan, a piano student of Zimmermann like Gounod, was the youngest of his generation of pianists in the salons and became a close friend and neighbor of Frédéric Chopin.
Performer Biography
Peter Vanhove, the pianist on this album, aims to introduce listeners to overlooked or unknown piano works.
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