Original work:Charles Gounod (1818–93), six choruses from five stage
works:
1Chœur des soldats from Faust - 112 bars in B♭
2Chœur des suivantes infidèles from
Ulysse - 94 bars in A
3
Chœur des Bacchantes from Philémon et Baucis - 95 bars in B♭
4Chœur dialogué Les Juives – Les
Sabéennes from La Reine de
Saba - 50 bars
in D
5Chœur des porchers from Ulysse, 166 bars in D
6Chœur des Magnanarelles from
Mireille, 84 bars in D
Transcription:1866, for publication by
Choudens. Bizet had previously
made different arrangements of the Chœur des soldats from
Faust in his piano duet transcription of the complete opera,
and of the Chœur dialogué Les Juives – Les Sabéennes from
La Reine de Saba in his vocal score of that opera. If he was responsible for the vocal score of Mireille, he had already made a different version of the Chœur des Magnanarelles.
Autograph score:not known
Printed score:
1
pl. no.:
A.C. 1343 - A.C. 1348
pages:
1-7, 2-7, 1-5, 1-5, 1-7, 2-7
date: 1866
ann.:Bibliographie de la France, 17-11-1866; Choudens
Catalogue 1867.
2
Choudens, reissued from later addresses. US-Wc
M34.G.
Printed score, extracts:
1
Choudens, 1866. Each piece
was paginated, priced and issued separately.
2
No. 4: Metzler,
London, pl. no. M. 5236,
5 p., 1879. GB-Lbl, GB-Ob, GB-T.
3
Nos 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6: Choudens, in
Classe supérieure du piano, 2e
vol.,
1886,
p. 191–95, 179–83, 174–78, 184–90 and 40–45.
Dedicatees:
The dedicatees of this collection were all women little known in the
Bizet literature, perhaps pianists that
Bizet knew.
no. 1
Mademoiselle Christine de Nouë. In 1866
Bizet also inscribed a copy of his transcription of
Don Giovanni to her. After her (or someone of the same
name) is named a variety of red rose.
no. 2
Madame Gabriel Benoit-Champy, wife of
Bernard-Gabriel Benoit-Champy (1835–after 1887), lawyer, industrialist and yachtsman,
and daughter-in-law of the dedicatee of La Jolie Fille de
Perth.
no. 3
Madame la Comtesse d’Alton-Shée, née
Valentine Marquire, wife of Edmond, comte
d’Alton-Shée (b. 1810), a friend of
Victor Hugo. Her husband was a member of the
Chambre des Pairs since 1836 and an ardent revolutionary in 1848.
no. 4
Madame Charles Laurent, wife of
Charles-Auguste Laurent (b.
1821), a geologist. She was a great-niece of Victor
Schnetz, director of the Villa Medicis
in Bizet’s time there. In 1866
she gave a dinner party for former Prix de Rome winners. According to
Paladilhe, Bizet frequently
dined and performed at their house at 12, rue François 1er.
no. 5
Madame Céleste Allain.
no. 6
Madame Harouel-Garcia. Eugénie,
daughter of Manuel Garcia (1805-1906) and niece of Pauline Viardot.