Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
A French composer who is best known for several operas
and Romantic sacred music in the Catholic tradition. His most famous
operas, "Faust" and "Romeo
et Juliette," remain in the opera repertory today. "Faust"
was first composed as a lyric opera with spoken dialogue and was later
reworked in its present form with sung recitatives. Gounod's
music abounds in sentimental lyricism and a type of mild Romanticism
that was imitated by many lesser talents of his time.