Charles Gounod

Ballet Music

Charles Gounod composed his five-act opera ‘Faust' based on the tragic play of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Considered by some as the greatest work of German literature, Goethe's ‘Faust' was first published in 1808 and is divided into two parts. Gounod's opera is an adaptation of the first of these parts and since its premiere in 1859, it has become one of the most often-performed operas in the world. In 1869, in order for the opera to be performed at the Paris Opera, a ballet sequence needed to be added. Thus, Gounod created a ballet sequence to be inserted at the beginning of Act 5 consisting of seven movements, sometimes referred to as the ‘Walpurgisnacht Ballet'. From this ballet music, four movements have been arranged for clarinet choir: Les Nubiennes, Danse Antique, Variations du Miroir, and Danse de Phryné. Optional percussion and harp parts are included.