This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Gounod (1818-1893), the most celebrated French composer in his time, known today for his opera Faust (1859) and the prayer in song Ave Maria (1853), adapted from the first prelude in Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. Faust was the most popular opera of the 19th century, and the Ave Maria, which Gounod deprecated as an espièglerie, a fluffy bit of mischief, added the luster of sanctity to his secular fame, though its earwig success, while works of his that he thought superior flopped, perplexed and annoyed him.

In America Gounod’s 200th birthday has been overshadowed by Leonard Bernstein’s 100th, but here and elsewhere musicians have not forgotten Gounod, sometimes reviving works that the modern public never heard of to begin with. The Palazetto Bru Zane in Paris, the Center for French Romantic Music, presented a birthday gala featuring scenes and arias from eight operas, most of them unfamiliar to any but the learned. Odyssey Opera in Boston is putting on La Reine de Saba (The Queen of Sheba) in its American premiere, a century and a half after its 1862 opening in Paris, as well as the Beantown premiere of Le Médecin malgré lui (The Doctor in Spite of Himself), Gounod’s rendition of the Molière comedy. London’s University College Opera will showcase the British premiere of Polyeucte. The National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing staged Roméo et Juliette in July, while Singapore’s Lyric Opera celebrated Gounod and Bernstein together with a selection of their greatest hits. Estonian National Opera will observe All Souls’ Day with a performance of the Saint Cecilia Solemn Mass. Warner Classics/Parlophone has issued a modestly priced 15-CD boxed set that comprises Faust, Roméo et Juliette, and Mireille, a scattering of arias from the lesser known operas, 26 mélodies or art songs, 3 sacred works, the Symphony for Wind Instruments, and the 2 full-scale symphonies. Decca for its part has released Gounod’s piano works played by Roberto Prosseda. An ordinary opera fan may be forgiven if he did not know Gounod wrote any piano music at all.