Funeral March of a Marionette

Charles Gounod wrote the song "Funeral March of a Marionette", which later became famous as the theme music for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"

Marionettes are puppets that are controlled by strings. As you listen to the music pretend that you are a puppet being controlled by someone else.

---

Charles Gounod was born in Paris on June 17th, 1818 and died on October 18th, 1893.

His first piano lessons were from his mom.

Besides the Funeral March of the Marionette he is known for his opera "Faust" and "Romeo and Juliet"

Later in life he mainly wrote religious music, including a musical setting of "Ave Maria",

which was based on the first prelude from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach

Here is famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti singing Ave Maria

Listen to famous Cello player Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott on piano perform "Ave Maria"

---

Here is the final scene in his "Faust" opera

---

Here is the Overture from his opera "Romeo and Juliet"

(an overture is a dramatic piece of music that opens up the opera)