GOUNOD Charles.

Lot 267
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Result : 22 000EUR
GOUNOD Charles.
autograph musical manuscript, sketches for Faust, [1858-1859]; ca. 100 pages, various sizes. Important set of deleted arias and sketches illuminating the genesis of Faust. As early as 1838, Gounod was fascinated by Goethe's drama, of which he set certain passages to music, such as Marguerite à l'église [see no. 263]; the project took shape in the spring of 1856 when Léon Carvalho commissioned him to write a Faust for the Théâtre-Lyrique; the libretto was then asked to Jules Barbier and Michel Carré (author of a play Faust et Marguerite, which was to serve as a framework for the librettists) ; the premiere of Faust took place on 19 March 1859 at the Théâtre-Lyrique, with Joseph Barbot (Faust), Caroline Miolan-Carvalho (Marguerite) and Matthieu Balanqué (Méphistophélès), in the main roles, under the direction of Adolphe Deloffre. On Faust [CG 4] and its complex genesis, see Condé p. 332-371, and Gérard Condé's fascinating comments in L'Avant-Scène Opéra no. 231 devoted to Faust. The dossier includes: Small book of pencil sketches (6 ff. 24 x 16 cm on 14-stave paper), mainly vocal lines, with lyrics, and instrumental ideas. One notes in particular the chorus of the Witches: " Au Brocken les sorcières vont? "... ; the air of the Ploughmen: " Béni soit Dieu ? Aux champs l'aurore nous rappelle "...; a Trio [WagnerFaust-Siebel, deleted]: " à l'étude, ô mon maître "...; themes of Étudiants and Soldats [for the kermesse at the beginning of act II]; etc. Sketchbook (oblong album, red hardback, red basane spine 17 x 26 cm), 42 ff. with 12 staves, in ink and mainly in pencil; the sketches of Faust are next to other notations, notably for Iwan le Terrible and Le Médecin malgré lui; Gounod noted the vocal lines, with or without words, and instrumental ideas. One notes in particular the theme of the " Bourdon Notre-Dame (24 August 1572) "; arias of the 5th act: " Ah! c'est le nom d'un ange "... and " Allah si ta sainte colère "...; a quartet Marie-Igor-Yorlof-Iwan; aria : " Dieu terrible "... the "March"; "Fin de la Ritournelle (Cabinet de Faust)"; "(Siebel) Fleurs fanées (2nd act)"; "Maître Scarabée (Couplets de Méphist. Act 1)"; "Salut, demeure chaste et pure (Faust's aria - Act 2)"; "Chœur des Reines et des courtisanes"; "(after the Prologue Trio) Faust seul"; "Duo (Meph. Faust) Prologue"; "Le Médecin 1er acte Couplets"; "Act 1. Sc. 1. Duet "Non, je te dis" ; "Servant, Mr. Doctor" ; "Morgué ? vous nous rendez service ?" ; "Eh, quel est cet oison" ; air : "Grâce, grâce", moderato maestoso ; etc. [Witches' Chorus]: "Au Brocken les sorcières vont?"... 6 ff. of an oblong notebook in-4 (25 x 31.5 cm) of water-green paper with 20 staves, for chorus and orchestra [for the 5th act, deleted]. [Sketches for the March for the Soldiers' Chorus "Immortal Glory"..., originally for Iwan the Terrible] (2 p. 34 x 27 cm), 1 p. (34.5 x 27 cm) and 1 p. oblong (17 x 29 cm with instruments: saxophones and trumpets). Mephistopheles' song for Act I (no. 6): "Maître Scarabée ayant fait fortune"..., Moderato (moto marcato) (36 x 27 cm, 10 ff, on 5 bifeuillets with 30 staves): "Maître Scarabée, ayant fait fortune"..., orchestral score of this aria, which will be replaced by that of the Veau d'or [Act I, sc. 3]. An autograph manuscript is attached: Le Second Faust (3 p. and a quarter small in-4): "The "Second Faust", as I conceive it, is at the same time the consequence and the antithesis of the first. Dying in repentance and in grace, Marguerite must be, by her past sufferings and her present intercession, the Saviour of Faust: she is the Victim redeeming the Executioner. But this supposed redemption implies a new drama"... etc.; plus, in another hand, a "Rhythmical Analysis of the Song of the King of Thule from Faust" (5 p. in-4 on music paper).
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