Charles Gounod
(1818–1893)
Gounod wrote lyrical operas on literary themes, including Roméo et Juliette and Mireille.
His Faust however, has been one of the most popular operas ever written and still holds the stage today.
In the early 20th Century, Faust was generally considered as being the most popular opera ever, but its position was shaken by the rise of the Italian school with Verdi and the verrismo opera's of Giacomo Puccini.
