Bidspirit auction | GOUNOD CHARLES: (1818-1893)

GOUNOD CHARLES: (1818-1893) - GOUNOD CHARLES: (1818-1893) French Composer. A very fine autograph letter with musical content, A.L.S., ` Ch. Gounod ´, two pages, 8vo, Paris, 6th May 1879, to Henri Heugel, in French. Gounod lists the exact number of musicians and instruments he will need to perform one of his most important works, stating ` Voici la liste du nombre de parties dont j´aurai besoin pour l´exécution de ma Méditation sur le Prélude de Bach´ (Translation: ” Here is the list of the number of parts I will need to perform my Meditation on Bach's Prelude”). Gounod annotates a lengthy list of instruments, stating in part ` 8 1º violons, 8 2º violons, 7 altos, 6 violoncelles, 12 violoncelles en accolade, 2 flutes, 2 hautbois, 2 clarinettes, 4 bassons, 4 cors, 2 trompettes, 3 trombonnes...´ One small hole and small area of paper loss to the bottom right corner, none affecting the text, otherwise about G This letter refers to his work ”Meditation for Orchestra and Choir, ” adapted from J.S. Bach's ”Well-Tempered Clavier.” He composed this melody in 1852, improvising on the arpeggios of Bach's piece. Under the title ”Meditation, ” it became a score for violin and keyboard. He later adapted it for voice, using the Latin text of the Ave Maria. This version is now world-famous.