Gouvy

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Louis Théodore Gouvy (July 3, 1819–April 21, 1898) was a French composer born in Goffontaine, France (now Saarbrücken-Schafbrücke, Germany). Because the Sarre, a region on the France-Prussia border where Gouvy was born, fell under Prussian control shortly before his birth, Théodore Gouvy could not attain French citizenship until the age of 32. Thus, unable to pursue music instruction at the Conservatoire de Paris, he took up private courses. Gouvy was a man of two cultures, divided between France and Germany, from which he drew his inspiration, his characteristics and his force. While to a certain extent he was known and recognized in his lifetime, he fell into obscurity following his death. Although his work comprises more than two hundred compositions, including 90 opuses published in his lifetime, it largely remains ignored. In particular, he wrote twenty-four compositions for a full orchestra, including nine symphonies, as well as openings and variations. Chamber music comprises a large portion of Gouvy's work and accounts in particular for four sonatas in duet form, five trios, eleven quartets, seven quintets, an enormous piano repertoire — for two and four hands — and for two pianos, several scores for wind instrument ensembles, as well as many melodies and Lieder. We also know of five great dramatic cantatas (Aslega, Œdipe à Colone, Iphigénie en Tauride, Électre, and Polyxène), two operas (Le Cid and Mateo Falcone) as well as some large religious works, including a

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