Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Texas, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-63).

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This thesis deconstructs the gender symbolism evident in the opera Faust (1859) by Gounod. The objective is to determine the gendered authenticity, originality and contributing nature of the work, acknowledging the Catholic nineteenth-century French context in which it was written. The study aims to establish the nature of the gender constructs portrayed (whether representative of their conservative milieu, or suggestive of unconventionality, liberalism and innovation) and how these portrayals were executed by Gounod and his librettists. An exploration of the construction of Faust and a comparison with Goethe’s Faust: Der Tragödie Erster Teil (1808), on which the Gounodian creation is loosely based, initiates the study. The theory of performativity by Judith Butler (1990), together with other general gender hypotheses on, for instance, masculine and feminine personalities and perversity, follows. Hereafter, gender in the context of artistic performances, and gender constructs in Christianity are investigated. These general, performance-based and theological theories and ideas are then compared to the gendered characters in Faust. The secular and Catholic gender norms that governed men and women in nineteenth-century France inevitably had an influence on how gender is represented in the opera. Hence, contextual aspects, as well as Gounod’s own interaction with, and exhibition of gender are analysed in order to establish their influential extent on Faust. A deconstruction of the opera as three different texts – libretto, score and DVD productions of three Faust performances – is applied since this contributes to holistic and objective conclusions. The aspects investigated in the study have brought to light that Faust shamelessly highlights the destructive consequences of social, cultural and religious gender stereotypes governing nineteenth-century Catholic France, whilst simultaneously proposing liberated gender identities. Gounod is innovative in presenting a female protagonist through the role of Marguerite. She is an intricate, developing character representative of multiple perplexed femininities, many of which are conquering and symbolic of female empowerment. Siébel serves as a source of great gender ambiguity and contradiction. These aspects are fuelled by an ironic female identity – hence, the notion of performativity is ingeniously incorporated into this character. Both femininity and masculinity is advocated in the portrayals of Méphistophèles and the Christian God, while interesting and unexpected masculinities are embodied through Faust and Valentin. By using the above methodology, I suggest that Gounod’s Faust is an authentic and pioneering work representing ambivalent, controversial, contradictory and empowering gender constructs, making it a composition of considerable worth, both musically and historically. NB: Additional information available on a CD stored at the Merensky Library front Counter. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 2013. / 5 CDs available with the study. Kept at the Open Scholarship Office in the Embargo room. / Music / unrestricted

Master of Music / Department of Music / Patricia Thompson / This report contains biographical, historical, and analytical commentary on the following composers and their pieces for soprano voice: Henry Purcell and The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation; Franz Schubert and Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister, Op. 62, D. 877; Jacques Offenbach and Les oiseaux dans la charmille, from Les Contes d'Hoffmann; Libby Larsen and Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII; Charles Gounod and Ah! Je veux vivre, from Roméo et Juliette. These selections, unified by the theme of tragedy in various forms of love, were presented in a graduate recital in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy degree.

This study examines two of the smaller American choral societies that together existed for just over 30 years, 1888 to 1919: The Gounod and New Haven Oratorio Societies of New Haven, Connecticut. These societies are important because, especially in the case of the New Haven Society, they were closely related to Yale University and the work of Horatio Parker. One must assume from the onset that the two choral groups examined in the following pages did not have the prominence of the many larger New England choral societies. However a more detailed knowledge about the struggles, successes, influence and leadership of two smaller societies illuminates a field of research in the history of American choral music that has been largely ignored.

Lorsque l’on évoque la symphonie en France au milieu du XIXe siècle, on ne retient généralement que le nom de Berlioz et l’on insiste sur une désaffection du genre tant de la part des compositeurs que du public. Pourtant, malgré un recul des créations, malgré le défi posé par l’héritage beethovénien et alors même que le contexte musical favorise principalement la scène lyrique, une soixantaine de compositeurs continuent à s’intéresser au domaine exclusivement instrumental de la symphonie et assurent le maintien d’un genre entre 1830 et la génération franckiste. Au-delà de son aspect historique, cette thèse vise à cerner les caractéristiques stylistiques de tout un ensemble d’œuvres, à les situer dans l’évolution d’un genre en les analysant à la fois par rapport aux normes viennoises, aux productions contemporaines germaniques et aux avancées plus générales du langage. Après une première partie centrée sur le contexte musical qui a vu naître ces symphonies, les enjeux pédagogiques qu’elles suscitent et le rôle décisif des sociétés orchestrales, l’analyse entre au cœur des partitions dans une démarche comparative à la fois quantitative et qualitative, depuis l’agencement interne des plus petits éléments musicaux jusqu’à la réalisation de la grande forme. À travers l’observation des pratiques globales et individuelles qui concourent à une réévaluation des normes, à la refonte ponctuelle mais progressive des cadres, se dégagent l’autonomie d’un genre par rapport à son modèle germanique et la permanence d’une école symphonique française tout au long du XIXe siècle. / When one deals with the symphony in mid-19th century France only the name of Berlioz comes to mind and one emphasizes a disaffection for the genre among composers as well as audiences. However, despite fewer creations, despite the awe-inspiring Beethovenian legacy and despite the overwhelming place held by the operatic scene during those decades, some sixty composers around Hector Berlioz still devoted themselves to the purely instrumental genre and achieved the development of the symphony between 1830 and the Franckist generation. Beyond its historical relevance, this doctoral dissertation aims at defining the stylistic features of a corpus of symphonic works and at placing them in the evolution of the genre by analyzing them in relation to Viennese standards, to contemporary Germanic productions and to the more general innovations in the musical language. After first focusing on the musical context in which these symphonies were composed, on the pedagogic stakes entailed and on the decisive role of orchestral societies, the analysis will then closely examine the scores in a quantitative and qualitative comparative approach moving from the internal construction of the smallest musical elements to the completion of the large form. The autonomy of a genre distinct from its Germanic model and the permanence of a French symphonic school throughout the 19th century will emerge thanks to the observation of collective and individual practices which contributed to a reassessment of norms, to a selective but gradual revision of musical forms.

Contained in this study is a musical discussion and analysis of seven Romance Sans Paroles (song without words), written by three French composers, Charles-François Gounod, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Gabriel Fauré. The Romance Sans Parole genre seems to be quite unknown in the piano field; as a result, there are few secondary sources available. By immersing myself in these scores, I sought to discover their musical value and compositional nuance and excellence. I thoroughly investigated each composer’s unique treatment of melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, and form. Chapter One includes an Introduction, brief biographical information on each composer, the Need for the Study, the Purpose of the Study, a Review of Literature, and a Methodology. Chapters Two, Three, and Four consist of a musical analysis and discussion of the seven Romance Sans Paroles. Chapter Five offers a Conclusion and Suggestions for Further Study. I believe my dissertation will enhance the understanding and appreciation of this art form. / School of Music