Charles Gounod - Symphony No. 1 in D major (1854)

[@dragondaemonis3801]

This symphony is truly a gem. So lovely, fresh and full of humour, the melodies come effortlessy and the orchestration is brilliant. A wonderful display of simplicity and classical forms.

[@kurthundhausen8465]

You certainly will love George's Bizet's Symphony No. 1 in C-major too.

[@dragondaemonis3801]

@kurthundhausen8465 Yes, a true masterpiece indeed, and I don't mind also his second one!

[@moltzer]

Very good. I found myself listening to the whole work.

[@tellmeatale5407]

So much humor in this work! I've always found the basson quite a funny instrument, and I have to admit that the line at 4:08 made me chuckle :) I also loved the fugal passage in the second movement!

[@filibertopierami6892]

Che bella questa Sinfonia. Mi ricorda, quanto a freschezza e gioia, la prima Sinfonia di Schubert.

[@henryopitz3254]

Fantastic symphony.

[@john221b6]

What a lovely light hearted piece! I loved the two avoided cadences in a row in the theme of the final Allegro. A witty surprise worthy of Haydn

[@whatafreakinusername]

The little spot from 20:49 to 21:00 is positively splendid

[@ClassicalNerd217]

This symphony is one of my favorites with a very jolly and exciting feeling to it that is very different from the Beethoven like symphonies which most symphonies try to mimic at this point. This is truly Unique (Except for Bizet which was after)

[@riverwildcat1]

Fresh and lively. Original. I've often wondered where Bizet learned his unpretentious and brilliant style. Now it's clear.

[@granthicks2030]

To those of us of a certain age, I'd say that Gounod is probably best known for his "Funeral March of a Marionette", which was used as the theme for the TV series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents".

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

Thank you, thank you Grant so much for sharing that knowledge. I've been trying to work out for years who wrote that "Hitchcock Presents" music. I don't think Gounod's name ever appeared on any credit.

[@iggyreilly2463]

The young Bizet borrowed more than a few bars for his own Symphony in C!

[@timothythorne9464]

I may be in the minority, but I prefer this Gounod symphony to the Bizet symphony in C.

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

@@timothythorne9464 It's actually a far better composition than Bizet's. Then it would be, Gounod was 36 when he wrote this, Bizet was only 17 when he completed the Symphony in C. But Bizet's is probably the easier listen.

[@timothythorne9464]

​@@DavidA-ps1qrboth this and the first Bizet symphony are very classical in style, and whatever "romanticism" exists here is closer to Mendelssohn than anyone else

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

@@timothythorne9464 Completely agree. Many thanks for replying.

[@ahoj7720]

Bizet was a student of Gounod's at the time he composed his symphony. His assignment was to make a reduction for piano of Gounod's 1st. Moreover, Bizet never intended to make his own composition public at any time.

[@alanhowe7659]

Gorgeous! Who needs Mahlerian self-flagellation all the time! This is so uplifting.

[@granthicks2030]

The fourth measure from the end of the first movement contains what is probably my favorite fermata in all of classical music.

[@mmbmbmbmb]

For me ... Music suited for listening while eating an elaborate breakfast on New Years Day ... after a long night of celebrating "Silvester".

[@willcwhite]

I was not expecting such a Haydnesque third movement

[@timothythorne9464]

The whole symphony is delightful, and bristling with melodic innovation. It's like Haydn or Mozart, pure Classicism but completely Gallic and Parisian, rather than Viennese. I'm particularly fond of the "slow" 2nd movement, which seems to foreshadow both the second mvt of the Bizet symphony, as well as Gounod's own famous Funeral March For A Marionette.

[@timothythorne9464]

The third movement, which Gounod calls "scherzo", is fantastic. It's sort of a rustic French waltz.

[@davemiller7633]

Wow! Haven't heard this in a while

[@steveegallo3384]

Richard Wunderlich -- Wow! I never even heard it AT ALL! (Still, there was no need for you to rub it in......)

[@mgconlan]

For a French symphony it sounds awfully German - but then again Gounod's most popular opera was based on a German dramatic poem. If I'd heard this "blind" and been asked to guess the composer, I would probably have said, "Mendelssohn."

[@日本語できないよ]

Nice!

[@notaire2]

Lebhafte und wunderschöne Interpretation dieser romantischen und perfekt komponierten Sinfonie mit gut phrasierten doch perfekt vereinigten Tönen aller Instrumente. Der letzte Satz klingt besonders schön und echt elegant. Der geniale Dirigent leitet das perfekt trainierte Orchester im inspirierenden Tempo und mit perfekt kontrollierter Dynamik. Einfach wunderbar!

[@kamvysis]

Haydn + French flute = super!!!!!

[@drtee51]

My Lord! This sounds so . . .so . . .so FRENCH!

[@georgegordonbyron84]

Спасибо за Гуно

[@AmazingStoriesUnfolded]

Who was the thief? Gounod or Bizet? They sound the same in melody.

[@sergioazevedo7390]

You can find the answer easily in the chronology of both composers, no? Of course was Bizet, who wrote his symphony with only 17 years old, in the same year of the first symphony of Gounod (but after that one, of course) as an school exercice. Bizet even thanks Gounod for inspiration in a letter to him... Bizet saw this work as a student exercice (which was in fact!), and all the thematic material and orchestration shows that Bizet molded his work on the symphony of his teacher, even if he achieves much better results :) Understanding that his was an exercice work, Bizet never published the symphony neither let it be played, and only after his death, much later indeed, was the symphony in C discovered. It is now very popular, but is a pitty that this delightful work of Gounod, the true model, is not!!

[@loicrenier7619]

Jolie bluette!

[@AmazingStoriesUnfolded]

Who was the thief? Gounod or Bizet? This Symphony sounds like Bizet symphony.

[@sergioazevedo7390]

You can find the answer easily in the chronology of both composers, no? Of course was Bizet, who wrote his symphony with only 17 years old, in the same year of the first symphony of Gounod (but after that one, of course) as an school exercice. Bizet even thanks Gounod for inspiration in a letter to him... Bizet saw this work as a student exercice (which was in fact!), and all the thematic material and orchestration shows that Bizet molded his work on the symphony of his teacher, even if he achieves much better results :) Understanding that his was an exercice work, Bizet never published the symphony neither let it be played, and only after his death, much later indeed, was the symphony in C discovered. It is now very popular, but is a pitty that this delightful work of Gounod, the true model, is not!!

[@rossini9mozart10]

Thief... bahaha oh dear, just write one measure of good music.

[@francisgriffith9398]

his musical style was very "classical" which was popular 50+ years earlier

[@AlejandroDominguezParedes]

Very funny this symphony

[@ClassicalNerd217]

I agree

[@sergiokibizer8317]

Che noia! Una rimasticatura di brani preromantici.

[@valerieheinderyckx4506]

Ne vous déplaise...Cela me plait.

[@CGCheesy]

whatttt?