Massenet

by James Harding

Eight pages of plates and twenty-one music examples. "In the feverish world of late nineteenth-century opera, Jules Massenet stands out as one of the most materially successful and popular composers of the time. In this study, at once entertaining, sensitive and witty, James Harding pays over-due tribute to a master of the theatre and concert hall, while painting a glittering portrait of Paris during la Belle Epoque. Today Massenet's huge corpus of stage works and concert music is being rediscovered and re-evaluated by audiences who delight in his superb sense of theatre, his vitality and his command of both voice and orchestration. Interest is rising not only in the famous Manon and Werther, but also in the decadent grace of Thais, the mellow nobility of Don Quichotte and so many others. This perceptive and brilliant book reaffirms the qualities that made Massenet a master for his time and ours."

Genres: Music

229 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 1970

Reviews

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good but not great insight into Massenet's work. To be honest, the book is not quite readable enough for a general opera fan nor is it necessarily academic enough to meet 21st century standards - when this volume came about Massenet's broader canon was far less well-represented on the stage.

Still, there aren't a lot of volumes focused on the composer so let's keep this one on the shelf.