Théodore Gouvy

Louis Théodore Gouvy (3 July 1819 – 21 April 1898) was a French/German composer. Biography Gouvy was born into a French-speaking family in Goffontaine, now of Saarbrücken-Schafbrücke, Germany. The family was of Belgian descent. Gouvy’s great-grandfather Pierre came from Goffontaine, a Belgian village near Liège. Around 1753, being mayor of Saarlouis, he named his ironworks factory “Goffontaine”. Because this region fell under Prussian control shortly before his birth, Théodore Gouvy could not attain French citizenship until the age of 32. He began piano lessons with a private tutor at the age of eight, and was educated in Sarreguemines (France), developing a keen interest in Classical Greek culture and in modern languages. He spoke not only German and French, but English and Italian as well. In 1837, he went to Paris to study law, continuing his piano lessons with a pupil of the pianist and composer Henri Herz (1803–1888) and became friendly with Adolphe Adam. This led to further music studies in Paris and Berlin. Unable to pursue music instruction at the Conservatoire de Paris, he took up private courses. Drawn toward instrumental music rather than opera, Gouvy chose to live the l