185 - GODARD (Benjamin) (1849–1895). French composer, violinist, and conductor, famous for his operas *Jocelyn* and *La Vivandière*.

GODARD (Benjamin) (1849–1895). French composer, violinist, and conductor, famous for his operas *Jocelyn* and *La Vivandière*. Autograph letter signed “Benjamin Godard” to a friend. No place, November 30, 1880. 4 pages, in-8. A very interesting letter devoted to his opera *La Tempête*, inspired by Shakespeare, in which the composer offers particularly harsh reflections on his own composition. Benjamin Godard discusses the press reactions following the performance of his work: “I had promised you a brief review of *La Tempête*, but now the entire press is raving about this work. ” The composer, however, bluntly criticizes his own music, which he deems lacking in originality: “There is no new effect, neither in melody nor in orchestration; it is the bourgeois music of a respectable pianist.” He goes on to denounce the banality of certain musical techniques: “The music of the work is competently crafted (...) yet there are passages of unforgivable vulgarity.” His analysis becomes particularly scathing when he addresses the choral section: “As for the choruses, they are all a failure, including the one from *The Tempest*, which deserved a better fate.” Godard concludes this review with an ironic assessment of the composer’s work and the press’s reactions. A remarkable document for the history of French opera, this letter reveals Benjamin Godard’s candor and aesthetic standards, as well as his perspective on the critical reception of the dramatic music of his time. A few old creases and slight signs of wear.