Benjamin Godard was a French composer of the Romantic period, born in Paris, where he later taught composition at the Conservatoire from 1887. A prolific composer across genres, his output includes eight operas, five symphonies, two piano concertos, two violin concertos, chamber music, and over a hundred songs; he is best remembered today for the “Berceuse” from his opera Jocelyn (1888). He died of tuberculosis in Cannes in 1895 at the age of 45.

Though largely absent from the operatic and symphonic repertoire today, Godard remains known through the enduring popularity of the Jocelyn “Berceuse,” and his smaller-scale works, particularly the Symphonie légendaire, are considered among his finest achievements. Aligned musically with Mendelssohn and Schumann, he was an outspoken opponent of Wagner’s antisemitism and was honored as a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur in 1889.

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Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Godard