Petite Symphonie (Gounod)

The Petite Symphonie in B-flat major is a four-movement work by Charles Gounod, first performed in 1885. It is scored for a wind ensemble of nine players.

Cover of the first edition

Background and premiere edit

Gounod had composed two symphonies for full orchestra in the 1850s but had since then generally concentrated on opera, songs, and religious music.[1] At the request of a Parisian wind ensemble, the Société de musique de chambre pour instruments à vent [fr], led by the flautist Paul Taffanel, he wrote a nonet for flute and pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons. The work was first given at the Salle Pleyel in Paris on 30 April 1885.[2] The score was not published until 1904.[1]

Structure edit

The work, which plays for about twenty minutes, is in four movements:[2]

  1. Adagio–Allegro
  2. Andante cantabile (quasi adagio) attacca
  3. Scherzo. Allegro moderato
  4. Finale. Allegretto

References edit

  1. ^ a b Huebner, Steven. "Gounod, Charles-François", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, 2001. Retrieved 28 November 2019 (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b Stepphun, Diether (1983). Notes to Orfeo CD C 1051 831 A OCLC 808038163

External links edit