Continue the journey…
A selection of operas to enjoy after listening to Massenet’s Werther
While Massenet waited to release Werther to the world, he worked on Amadis, another large-scale stage opera.
The piece would not be heard until ten years after Massenet’s death, however, along with two other operas that were performed posthumously: Panurge (1913) and Cléopâtre (1914). Amadis tells the story of the eponymous hero, who, along with his twin brother Galaor, is fleeing from the King of Brittany’s soldiers. The dark Prologue foreshadows Massenet’s approach to tragedy. (Théâtre National de l’opéra de Paris/patrick Fournillier Forlane UCD16578/9)
Massenet was part of an unofficial group of composers based in Paris; among them were Saint-saëns, Bizet and Ambroise Thomas. Like Werther, Saint-saëns’s Samson and Delilah was initially rejected for its subject matter, although it eventually went on to secure success, having been supported by Liszt who helped stage the premiere in 1877. Arias such as ‘Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix’ unite tender vocal lines with exquisite orchestral writing. (José Cura; Colin Davis/lso & Chorus Erato 3984247562)
Bizet’s lesser-known comic opera Djamileh was written around the
Arias unite tender vocal lines with exquisite orchestral writing
same time as Samson, but represents a move away from the French operatic tradition. It was admired by Strauss, who may have used it as inspiration for Ariadne auf Naxos. Stylistically, Djamileh draws heavily on chromaticism and cross rhythms; a clear nod towards modernism. (Jacques Mercier/orchestre National d’ile de France Sony 88985470862)
Another big comic opera around that time was Mignon by Thomas, based on Goethe’s Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, which enjoyed repeated performances across Europe. (Risë Stevens; The Metropolitan Opera & Chorus/
Wilfrid Pelletier Sony 88697961922)
Massenet taught throughout his career and had several notable students, including Georges Enescu.
The Romanian composer’s only opera, Oedipe was first performed in Paris in 1936. Comparisons with Werther can be found in both the dark narrative – based on the Sophoclean tragic hero who murders his own father and marries his mother – and the idiomatic solo parts. The Royal Opera House revived it in 2016. (Monte Pederson Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera/michael Gielen Naxos 8660163-64)