T6

Gounod, Faust

piano duet
Original work: Charles Gounod (1818–93), Faust, opera in five acts, first performed at the Théâtre-Lyrique on 19-3-1859.
Transcription: If Bizet had not been in Italy at the time of Faust's production, he might have been assigned the vocal score for reduction, in line with his work on La Nonne sanglante. That task was assigned to Delibes, while Bizet was given the piano duet version to prepare, once the success of the opera was assured. This he did soon after his return from Italy toward the end of 1860. It was his first publication from the house of Choudens. He also worked on the Italian version of the vocal score in 1860. Choudens also issued a version for piano duet 'simplifiée'.

In 1869 Gounod added seven short ballet movements for the opera's transferral to the Opéra. Probably during Gounod's absence in England between 1870 and 1874 Bizet devised a version that allowed a shorter ballet. His link closes the chorus in Act V 'Que les coupes s'emplissent' with a modulation from B♭ to a dominant seventh on D, and provides a similar link from A major to the E♭ of Méphistophélès's entry 'Que ton ivresse, ô volupté'. This would allow a ballet that began in G major (no. 6) and ended in A major (no. 1).

Autograph score: No autograph of the piano duet arrangement is known. The autograph full score of the links for a revised ballet is found in a private collection. 18-stave paper, 2 f., 3 p. of music, 8 + 5 bars. The first page is headed Pour remplacer [crossed out: les deux dernières mesures] la dernière mesure de la page 475, and the third page has in the margin: Pour remplacer les 4 dernières mesures du ballet et la 1e mesure de la page 476.
Printed score:
pl. no.:

A.C. 830

pages:

title page, blank, Table, p. 2-279

date:

1861-62

copies:

GB-Lbl f.68.g (inscribed 1864)

S-LI

SA-M

Letter:
August 1862, to Choudens:
'Si nous voulions régulariser nos comptes rigoureusement nous arriverions à un total un peu plus fort que je ne le croyais moi-même. Par exemple, Erostrate . . . 200 [fr.] Le Cabaret ... 100 [fr.] [...] Quant aux raccords arrangements du Faust italien, de Philémon, correction d’épreuves à 2 fr. par heure, cela monterait à beaucoup plus de 100 [fr.]'
copy in F-Po
Bibliography:
  • Dean 55
  • Lacombe 131