Pie Jesu by Gounod
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    It amazes me that I cannot find a recording of Gounod's Pie Jesu anywhere on the internet. Is there a moratorium on this piece?
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,044
    It seemed like nobody was recording Gounod's sacred music until fairly recently. The best of it is amazingly good. But alas, I've never heard this.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    I don't care for a large portion of Gounod, but this piece is stunning and has been in my regular repertoire for eons.
  • R J StoveR J Stove
    Posts: 302
    A very fine Messe Chorale by Gounod, austerely written for choir and organ (no orchestra), is well worth tracking down. I, for one, would rate this work far more highly than the much better known Saint Cecilia Mass of the same composer. You can obtain via iTunes a recording of the Messe Chorale, coupled with some almost equally impressive Saint-Saëns:

    http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/gounod-messe-chorale-saint/id208839752

    I haven't heard the Gounod Pie Jesu, I'm sorry to say.
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Gounod also wrote a Mass for the anniversary of the baptism of Clovis (King of the Franks) that is very reverent; it was published posthumously. Also choir and organ only. There are solos, but they are not showy; they could be done by a small group instead.
  • Dale Fleck
    Posts: 49
    Please help me: I would like to find a copy of the score to the Pie Jesu of Charles Gounod......Is there one out there? Thanks, Dale
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Here you are. This is extracted from an 85-page book with loads of other sacred solo music - multiple settings of Ave Verum and O Salutaris among others.
    Gounod_PieJesu.pdf
    98K
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    For the first four measures, I ditch the octaves in the left hand and just play the lower note on the organ.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Francis, I think that some of the octaves are there for performance on reed organs as well as the piano, as many churches in France did not have pipe organs so the market for music tried to satisfy the need for reed organ music. Some had pedals, some did not, so for those without pedals, those octaves added some support.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,933
    It is hard to believe that after all these years, I had never heard that piece. It's lovely.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    fnj... it's strictly about understatement... doesn't matter what instrument it is. that is my personal opinion.
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    I'm attaching a file that I arranged of the Gounod Pie Jesu for SA voices. I attempted to make it as simple as possible for the purposes of my small choir (so they sing in unison wherever possible, and forgive me for the one or two broken voice-leading rules.) Just thought anyone else might like to make use of it in November!
    Pie Jesu SA Gounod.pdf
    20K
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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