A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Goovaerts, Alphonse

by W. Barclay Squire

GOOVAERTS, Alphonse Jean Marie André, born at Antwerp, May 25, 1847, comes of an artistic family, his grandfather being a Flemish poet of some celebrity, and his father an excellent amateur musician. When still a child M. Goovaerts showed great talent for music, but after some education at the Jesuits' College at Antwerp, owing to family losses he was obliged at the age of 15 to embrace a mercantile career. During this part of his life he studied music with the greatest assiduity, and soon after 1866 (when le obtained a post in the Antwerp Town Library) his sacred motets began to be performed in the churches of his native town. From 1868 to 1874 he published seven small volumes of Flemish songs, to words by Franz Willems, set for three voices and intended for the use of primary Flemish schools. In 1869 his 'Messe Solennelle,' for orchestra, chorus, and organ, was performed on St. Cecilia's Day with great success, although it was the work of a musician entirely self-taught in harmony, composition, and orchestration. It had been preceded by a small Mass a 4 with organ accompaniment and several Flemish songs, etc. M. Goovaerts next began to occupy himself with literature, without however neglecting the composition of church music. In 1874 he began the efforts for the reform of church music by which he is best known. Having been appointed musical secretary to the Antwerp Cathedral, he established an amateur Domchor, for which he itanscribed ninety motets, etc., by Palestrina, Lasso, and the great Flemish and Italian composers. These attempted reforms met with strong opposition, to which M. Goovaerts replied by articles in the 'Fédération Artistique' and other papers, and by a work on the subject published simultaneously in French and Flemish, 'La Musique d'Église. Considerations sur son état actuel et Histoire abrégée de toutes les écoles de l'Europe.' After two journeys in Germany and Holland, to study the work of the Ratisbon school of the former country and the Gregorian Association of the latter, M. Goovaerts in 1881 became one of the leaders of the Gregorian Association founded by the Belgian bishops in that year, for which he has recently composed a motet, 'Adoramus,' for four equal voices. In 1877 he was crowned by the Belgian Académie, and in 1880 he received the gold medal for his 'History of Music Printing in the Netherlands.' In the same year appeared his valuable work on Abraham Verhoeven, which was translated into Flemish in the following year. M. Goovaerts, after having been for some time Assistant Librarian at the Antwerp Town Library, is now (1887) employed at the Archives Royales at Brussels. He is a member of many learned societies, both Belgian and foreign. The following is a list of his principal musical and literary works:—

MUSICAL.
Ave Maria.
2 O Salutaris.
Flemish Songs.
Pieces for Piano and Violin.
Petite Messe.
Messe Solennelle.
Dree stemmige Liederen voorde Schooljengd.
Adoramus.
Ave verum.
Tantum Ergo.
O Jesu, sapientia.
Noël (P. V.)
Lieder and Scenas.
Choral Music, etc.

LITERARY.
Notice blographique et bibliographique sur Pierre Phalèse, imprimeur de Musique à Anvers au 16^e siècle, suivie du catalogue chronologique de ses impressions.
Levensschets van Ridder Leo de Burbure.
Une nouvelle œuvre de Pierre Benoît, analysée par Pierre Phalèse (translated into Flemish).
Notice Historique sur un tableau de Michel-Angelo de Caravaggio.
La Musique d'Eglise (translated into Flemish).
Généalogie de la famille de Liagre.
Le Peintre Michel-Ange Immenraet.
Génealogie de la famille Wouters.
Histoire et Bibliographic de la Typographie Musicale dans les Pays Bas.
Origine des Gazettes et Nouvelles Periodiques. Abraham Verhoeven (transl. into Flemish).
Articles In the Biographic Nationale.

[ W. B. S. ]