Gustave Charpentier was born in Dieuze, France, on June 25, 1860. He
received his musical training in the Conservatories in Lille and Paris,
winning the Prix de Rome in 1881. During his stay in Rome he wrote
_Impressions of Italy_ for orchestra, with which he realized his first
success upon its première performance in Paris in 1892. Charpentier’s
fame, however, rests securely on a single opera, _Louise_, a triumph
when introduced in Paris on February 2, 1900, and since become
recognized as one of the major achievements of the French lyric theater.
A sequel, _Julien_ (1913), was a failure. From 1913 on, Charpentier
wrote almost nothing more, living a Bohemian existence in the Montmartre
section of Paris where he died on February 18, 1956.
_Impressions of Italy_, a suite for orchestra (1890) is a nostalgic
picture of five Italian scenes. The first movement is “Serenade,” in
which is described a picture of young men emerging from a bistro at
midnight, singing love songs under the windows of their girl friends.
“At the Fountain” depicts girls parading with dignified steps near a
waterfall by a ravine; from the distance come the sounds of a shepherd’s
tune. “On Muleback” tells of evening as it descends on the Sabine
Mountains. The mules trot along, and there rises the song of the
muleteer followed by the sweet love song of girls riding in their carts
to the village. “On the Heights” presents noontime on the heights
overlooking Sorrento. All is peace, though the toll of bells can be
heard from a distance. The finale is a musical tribute to a great city,
“Naples.” In this music we see the crowds of the city, the parading
bands. A tarantella is being danced in the streets. The strains of a
sentimental folk song drift in from the quay. Evening falls, and
fireworks electrify the sky.