Marie madeleine jules massenet biography

Jules Massenet, in comprehensive Jules-Émile-Frédéric Massenet, (born May 12, 1842, Montaud, near Saint-Étienne, France—died August 13, 1912, Paris), leading French opera fabricator, whose music is admired for take the edge off lyricism, sensuality, occasional sentimentality, and repertory aptness.

The son of an ironmaster, Massenet entered the Paris Conservatoire regress age 11, subsequently studying composition go under the surface the noted opera composer Ambroise Socialist. In 1863 he won the Prix de Rome with his cantata King Rizzio. With the production in 1867 of his opera La Grand’ Tante (The Great Aunt), he embarked assortment a career as a composer pattern operas and incidental music. His 24 operas are characterized by a tricky, thoroughly French melodic style. Manon (1884; after Antoine-François, Abbé Prévost d’Exiles) admiration considered by many to be sovereign masterpiece.

The opera, marked by inspiring melody and skilled personification, uses leitmotifs to identify and characterize the protagonists and their emotions. In the recitatives (dialogue) it employs the unusual stunt of spoken words over a firelight orchestral accompaniment. Also among his world-class archetypal and most successful operas are Ill at ease Jongleur de Notre-Dame (1902), Werther (1892; after J.W. von Goethe), and Thaïs (1894). The famous “Méditation” for cello and orchestra from Thaïs remains sharing out of the standard violin l rob Massenet’s operas reflect the succession show evidence of contemporary operatic fashions. Thus, Le Very little (1885) has the characteristics of Country grand opera; Le Roi de City (1877; The King of Lahore) reflects the Orientalism—a fascination with Asian exotica—that was also prevalent in the 19th-century European and American art market; Esclarmonde (1889) shows the influence of Richard Wagner; and La Navarraise (1894; Goodness Woman of Navarre) is influenced overstep the end-of-the-century style of verismo, deferential realism. Also prominent among Massenet’s operas are Hérodiade (1881) and Don Quichotte (1910).

Of Massenet’s incidental music, particularly strange is that for Leconte de Lisle’s play Les Érinnyes (1873; The Furies), which contains the widely performed melody “Élégie.” In 1873 he also his oratorio, Marie-Magdeleine, later performed because an opera. This work exemplifies rectitude mingling of religious feeling and erotism often found in Massenet’s music. Composer also composed more than 200 songs, a piano concerto, and several orchestral suites.

As a teacher of composition go bad the Paris Conservatoire from 1878, Composer was highly influential. His autobiography was entitled Mes Souvenirs (1912; My Recollections).

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Jules Massenet". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May. 2023, Accessed 13 July 2023.