Benjamin Godard facts for kids
Benjamin Louis Paul Godard (born August 18, 1849 – died January 10, 1895) was a talented French musician. He was a violin player and a composer from the Romantic era of music. Godard is most famous for his opera called Jocelyn. He wrote many different types of music, including eight operas, five symphonies, and many songs. He passed away at 45 years old from tuberculosis in Cannes, France.
Godard's Musical Journey
Benjamin Godard was born in Paris in 1849. He started studying music at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1863. There, he learned to play the violin from Henri Vieuxtemps. He also studied harmony with Napoléon Henri Reber. Godard even traveled to Germany twice with his violin teacher, Vieuxtemps.
In 1876, one of his pieces, the Concerto romantique, was played in public concerts. Other large works by him were also performed. In 1878, Godard won a special award called the Prix de la Ville de Paris. His winning piece was a dramatic symphony named Le Tasso. Many people still admire this work today.
From that time until he died, Godard wrote a huge amount of music. He composed eight operas. His opera Jocelyn was performed in Paris in 1888. A song from Jocelyn, called the "Berceuse," is still his most famous piece. Another opera, Dante, was played two years later. His opera La Vivandière was not finished when he died. Another composer, Paul Vidal, completed it. La Vivandière was performed in 1895.
Godard became a professor at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1887. In 1889, he was made a Knight of the Légion d'honneur. This is a very important award in France.
What Music Did Godard Write?
Godard created a long list of musical works. He wrote five symphonies, which are large pieces for an orchestra. Some of these include Symphonie gothique (1883), Symphonie orientale (1884), and Symphonie légendaire (1886).
He also wrote a Concerto romantique for violin and orchestra in 1876. He composed two piano concertos and three string quartets. A string quartet is a group of four string instruments. Godard also wrote four sonatas for violin and piano. A sonata is a piece for one or two instruments. He wrote a sonata for cello and piano, too.
Among his many piano pieces, some popular ones are Mazurka No. 2, Valse No. 2, Au Matin, and Les Hirondelles. His "Florian's Song" is also very well-known. It has been arranged for many different instruments. One of his violin and piano sonatas has a fast, playful part called a scherzo. This scherzo is special because it uses an unusual 5
4 time signature. Godard wrote more than 100 songs in total.
Some experts say that Godard's music can be uneven because he wrote so much. They believe his shorter pieces are often his best. Among his bigger works, the Symphonie légendaire stands out as one of his most unique.
Godard did not like the music of Richard Wagner, another famous composer. He also disagreed with Wagner's strong negative opinions about Jewish people. Godard's own musical style was more like that of Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann.
Godard's Operas
Benjamin Godard wrote several operas during his career. An opera is a play where the words are sung to music.
- Les Guelfes was a grand opera with five acts. He composed it between 1880 and 1882. It was first performed in Rouen in 1902.
- Pedro de Zalamea was an opera with four acts. It was based on a play by Calderón. It premiered in Antwerp in 1884.
- Jocelyn is his most famous opera. It has four acts and was first performed in Brussels in 1888.
- Dante et Béatrice was a dramatic opera with four acts. It was first shown in Paris in 1890.
- Jeanne d'Arc was a historical drama with five acts. It premiered in Paris in 1891.
- He also composed Ruy Blas in 1891, but it was never performed.
- La Vivandière was an opera comique with three acts. It was not finished when Godard died. Paul Vidal completed the music. It was first performed in Brussels in 1893, and then in Paris in 1895.
See also
In Spanish: Benjamin Godard para niños
