Kołysanka [partytura + skrzypce]
Godard Benjamin Louis Paul, *18 August 1849 Paris, †10 January 1895 Cannes, French composer and violinist. He initially studied violin under R. Hammer and H. Vieuxtemps, and at the age of 14 became a pupil of H. Reber at the Paris Conservatory. In 1866 and 1867, he took part in the Prix de Rome, but without success. He played as a violinist in chamber ensembles; in the late 1860s, he began publishing his chamber works. In 1876, he performed an orchestral arrangement of R. Schumann’s Kinderszenen by Godard. His dramatic symphony Le Tasse was enthusiastically received in 1878 and won the City of Paris Prize. Many of Godard’s works were performed by concert society orchestras: Concerts du Châtelet and Concerts Populaires Pasdeloup, and in 1882 Godard conducted a festival of his own works at the Cirque d’Été. From 1887, he was professor of instrumental ensembles at the conservatory; in 1889, he became a Knight of the Legion of Honor. In the 1880s, Godard also turned to composing operas, but his success in this field was limited, although some operas were staged in Paris, Antwerp, and Brussels; only La berceuse avec Jocelyne gained popularity. He then tried his hand at comic opera, but his work on La vivandière was interrupted by his death.
In the 1870s, Godard raised high hopes in French musical circles as a symphonist, especially after the performance of Tasso. He enjoyed the admiration of J.E. Pasdeloup, among others. In some of his orchestral works, as well as in his chamber music (string quartets, violin sonatas), written in the style of Mendelssohn, he sought to emulate the achievements of contemporary European music. However, his ease of composition and contentment with his fame as a favorite of the salons deprived his work of substantial depth and expressiveness. This is particularly evident in his prolific piano works, which display characteristics of sentimentality, naivety, and schematism. Only the études Op. 42 and 107 are worth mentioning. From his violin literature, the Canzonetta from Concert romantique remains in the concert repertoire.
Literature: M. Clerjot Benjamin Godard, Paris 1902; H. Imbert Medaillons contemporains, Paris 1902; M. Clavié Benjamin Godard, étude biographique; suivie d’un catalogue complet de ses œuvres, Paris 1906; J. Tiersot Un demi-siècle de la musique française, Paris 1918, 21924, H. Boissy d’Anglas Benjamin Godard: biographie, généalogie, vie, oeuvre, Nîmes 2021.
Instrumental:
orchestral:
Symphony No. 1, pub. Berlin n.d.
Piano Concerto No. 1 in A minor Op. 31, pub. Paris 1870
Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major 1880, pub Paris n.d.
Scènes poétiques Op. 46, 1878, pub. Paris 1880
Brésilienne, Kermesse, Marche funèbre Op. 51 nos. 1–3, pub. Paris 1880, arranged also for the piano
Introduction et Allegro for piano and orchestra Op. 49, pub. Paris 1881
Symphonie-ballet, pub. Paris 1882, arranged also for the piano
Symphonie gothique Op. 23, pub. Munich 1883
Symphonie orientale Op. 84, pub. Berlin 1884
Concert romantique for violin and orchestra Op. 35, pub. Paris 1887
Suite de danses anciennes et modernes Op. 103, pub. Paris(?) 1890
Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor Op. 131, pub. Berlin 1892
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major Op. 148, pub. Paris 1899
Scènes écossaises for oboe and orchestra (or piano) Op. 138, pub. Paris n.d.
Symphonie descriptive (unpublished)
chamber:
5 sonatas for violin and piano – C minor Op. 1, pub. Paris 1865(?), A minor Op. 2, pub. Paris 1875, G minor Op. 9, pub. Paris 1878, A-flat major Op. 12, pub. Berlin 1881, D minor Op. 78, pub. Paris n.d.
works for piano, violin and cello, including Op. 5, pub. Paris 1868
Légende et scherzo for violin and piano, Op. 3, pub. Paris 1878
Aubade et scherzo for cello and piano, Op. 61, pub. Paris 1882
String Quartet No. 1 in G minor Op. 33, pub. Paris 1883
Suite de 3 morceaux for violin and piano, Op. 78, pub. Berlin 1884
String Quartet No. 2 in A major Op. 37, pub Paris 1884
Sonata in D minor Op. 104, pub. Paris 1887
String Quartet No. 3 in A major Op. 136, pub. Leipzig 1893
En plein air. Suite de 5 morceaux for violin and piano, pub. Berlin 1893
6 morceaux for violin and piano, Op. 128, pub. Paris n.d.
2 works for cello and piano, Op. 36, pub. Paris n.d.
Valse for piano and clarinet Op. 116, pub. Paris n.d.
Suite de 13 morceaux for piano and flute, pub. Paris n.d.
for piano:
Les contes de Perrault Op. 6, pub. Paris 1868
Menuet-Andante-Gavotte Op. 16, pub. Paris 1874
12 études artistiques Op. 42, pub. Paris 1879
Duo symphonique, 2 piano duets, pub. 1880
Lanterne magique Op. 50, 55, 66, 110, pub. Paris from 1880
[4] Pièces symphoniques for piano 4 hands, Op. 28, pub. Berlin 1881
Chemin faisant, 6 caprices Op. 53, pub. Paris 1881
Contes de la veillée for piano 4 hands, Op. 67, pub. Paris 1883
Sonate fantastique Op. 63 and II Sonate Op. 94, pub. Paris n.d.
12 nouvelles études artistiques Op. 107, pub. Paris 1892(?)
[12] Scènes italiennes Op. 126, pub. Paris n.d.
over 100 other works, including mazurkas, waltzes
Vocal:
over 100 songs, including: Nouvelles chansons du vieux temps Op. 24, pub. Paris 1876
Diane, poème antique, pub. Paris n.d.
Hymne à la liberté for choir
Symphonie légendaire for solo voice and women’s choir, Op. 99, pub. Paris 1886
Stage:
Les Guelfes, grand opera, libretto L. Gallet, 1880–82, staged in Rouen 1902, piano reduction pub. Paris 1898
Pedro de Zalaméa, opera, libretto L. Détroyat, A. Silvestre after Calderon, staged in Antwerp 1884, piano reduction pub. Paris 1884
music to Much Ado About Nothing, libretto L. Legendre after Shakespeare, staged in Paris 1887
Jocelyne, opera, libretto V. Capoul, A. Silvestre after Lamartine, staged in Brussels 1888 piano reduction pub. Paris 1888
Dante et Béatrice, lyric drama, libretto E. Blau, staged in Paris, piano reduction pub. Paris 1890
Jeanne d’Arc, historical drama, libretto J. Fabre, staged in Paris, piano reduction pub. Paris 1893(?)
La vivandière, comic opera, libretto H. Cain, unfinished, orchestration by P.A. Vidal, staged in Paris, piano reduction pub. Paris 1895