Jules Massenet
Today Jules Massenet is best known for the operas Manon and Werther and the solo violin Méditation, from Thaïs. During his lifetime, however, Massenet was one of the most prolific and celebrated operatic composers on earth. The public anxiously awaited his output, and Massenet became both wealthy and famous practicing his craft. His legacy endures because of his ability to create music which portrays the intimacy of human relationships and the emotions and conflicts that arise from them. His gift for melody is reflected in a variety of arias that are among the most beautiful in the French operatic repertoire. He was also a brilliant orchestrator, a skill which allowed him to capture the moods and colors of a wide variety of places and eras. In addition to opera, Massenet composed songs, oratorios, ballets and orchestral works, as well as chamber music and works for solo piano.
Massenet was born in Montaud, France, to the family of a struggling metal worker. At the tender age of 10, he was admitted to the Paris Conservatory, where he studied with famed operatic composer Ambroise Thomas. In 1863, Massenet won the Prix de Rome, a prize which allowed him to travel and study in Italy. There the young man experienced the sounds and textures of the region and began to compose in earnest. While in Italy, Massenet met Liszt, who introduced him to his future wife, Mademoiselle Sainte-Marie.
Massenet's first opera, a one-act entitled La Grand' Tante (The Great Aunt), was produced (with only moderate success) at the Opéra-Comique in 1867. In 1877 Massenet's exotic opera Le Roi de Lahore (The King of Lahore) had a highly successful premiere at the Paris Opera, marking the beginning of his ascendancy as France's most prolific and celebrated operatic composer.
In 1878, his former teacher, Thomas, invited him to become a professor at the Paris Conservatory. Massenet achieved considerable success as a teacher, influencing an entire generation of French composers, including Gustav Charpentier and the song composer Reynaldo Hahn.
A highly prolific composer, Massenet worked continuously throughout his life, completing a great deal of music in addition to his 25 published operas. His approximately 250 songs often reflect the same melodic ingenuity and expressiveness that define his operatic works. Massenet composed several song cycles, including Poéme d'Avril (April Poem), which is often identified as the first French song cycle. Among the most famous of his solo songs are "Ouvre tes yeux bleus" (Open your blue eyes) and "Si tu veux, Mignonne" (If you wish it, sweetheart). The composer's First Orchestral Suite (originally entitled Symphony in F) premiered in 1867. This was the first of seven suites by Massenet, with programmatic subjects ranging from Alsace (Scènes alsaciennes, 1882) to Hungary (Scènes hongroises, 1871), and from Shakespeare (Scénes dramatiques, 1875) to Fairyland (Scènes de féerie, 1881). The most famous of his orchestral suites, Scénes pittoresques (Picturesque Scenes), was first performed in Paris during March of 1874. Massenet also composed several ballets, including La Cigale, Espada, and Les Rosati. In addition to Marie-Magdeleine, his oratorios include Ève (1875) and La Terre promise (The promised land, 1900). He wrote a considerable amount of incidental music for plays, including Sardou's Le Crocodile (1886) and Racine's Phèdre (1900). His only piano concerto was first performed in 1903 and receives occasional modern performances.
© TiVo
Discografia
18 álbum(ns) • Ordenado por Mais vendidos
-
Thaïs: Méditation
Jules Massenet, Martèn LeGrand
Classical - Lançado por Piano and Classics em 20/10/2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rediscovering French Operas in 21 Volumes - Vol. 11/21 : Thaïs
Opera - Lançado por ISIS em 05/01/2017
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Massenet: Thais - Act II: "Meditation" (Digitally Remastered)
Classical - Lançado por EMG Classical em 03/09/2013
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
France - Espagne (Chabrier, Massenet, Ravel, Debussy)
Jules Massenet, Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth
Classical - Lançado por Actes Sud Musicales em 07/04/2015
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Collection
Classical - Lançado por Il Loggione Records em 30/03/2018
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Grandes Maestros de la Música Clásica: Meditación
Classical - Lançado por Piros Comercial Digital em 04/08/2013
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paris 1952: Massenet - Thaïs
Roger Bourdin, Berthe Montmart, Odette Riquier
Opera - Lançado por Urania em 01/01/2002
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Élégie
Jules Massenet, Catherine Garrido, Gabriela Nardo, Vilma Garriga
International Pop - Lançado por República Records em 27/07/2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
GRANDI VOCI NICOLAI GEDDA Una collana dedicata con registrazioni originali Decca e Deutsche Grammophon rimasterizzate con le tecniche più moderne che ne garantiscono eccellenza tecnica e artistica
Nicolai Gedda, Vincenzo Bellini, Jules Massenet
Classical - Lançado por UME - Global Clearing House em 25/06/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Werther, Act III: Pourquoi me réveiller (Live)
Opera - Lançado por Emitha LLC em 26/01/2024
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musique pour bercer les petits enfants
Classical - Lançado por soundnotation em 30/07/2022
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Massenet Don Quichotte
Classical - Lançado por Audiofonic Records em 11/09/2019
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Opera Classica (Classical Music Masters)
Classical - Lançado por Il Loggione Records em 30/03/2018
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Méditation from Thaïs (Violin and Piano)
Jules Massenet, Koji Morishita
Classical - Lançado por Stereo Arts Classics em 09/04/2024
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live Recital: Massenet - Beethoven - Schumann (Live)
Bahar Büyükgönenç, Dilek Batıbay, Jules Massenet, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann
Classical - Lançado por Tanış Müzik em 19/07/2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Massenet: Le Cid (Ballet Suite)
London Symphony Orchestra, Robert Irving
Ballets - Lançado por Sunday Club Records em 24/10/2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Massenet: Highlights from Manon
Jésus Etcheverry, The Etcheverry Symphony Orchestra, The Etcheverry Chorus
Opera - Lançado por Sunday Club Records em 01/10/2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo