OPERAS

MASSENET: Werther (Thill, Vallin) (1931)

MASSENET: DON QUICHOTTE KORD,

MANON

MANON: JURINAC-DERMOTA-OLAH-NE

Paris discovered Massenet's Griselidis at the Opera-Comique on 20 November 1901. The work is based on a medieval folktale retold by Boccaccio and Perrault, among others, and already set to music several times in the Baroque era. It gave Massenet the opportunity to handle the 'Gothic' colouring of which the early twentieth century could not get enough. The inventive libretto by Armand Silvestre and Eugene Morand explores unusually contrasted registers: the religious, the fantastical, the sentimental and the warlike. Above all, the presence of a scene-stealing Devil, saddled with a cantankerous wife, offers the possibility of contrasting the serious (or sublime) and the comic (or grotesque). Massenet thus produced a rare example of cross-genre equilibrium, a jewel of French demi-caractere, typical of the Opera-Comique repertory. Although the opera renounces spoken dialogue, theatrical declamation nevertheless creeps into a few particularly successful scenes. Two magnificent baritone roles - the Marquis and the Devil - oppose each other with the full trappings of Romantic vocality, while Griselidis makes a noble and introspective heroine, the perfect model of the French soprano.

Classical Music

Even though it is mainly to Manon and Werther that Massenet owes his renown, he composed operas of different genre and character, which just as effectively reveal his fine lyrical vein and talent in depicting various emotions. Don Quichotte is brilliantly comic. Finished in 1910, after a career studded with successes, the opera was premièred at the Opera Theatre in Monte Carlo. It was a resounding success, fostered by the presence, in the main roles, of famous singers such as the Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin as Don Quichotte and Lucy Arbell as Dulcinée. A few months later, in December of the same year, it would be repeated at Paris's Théâtre Galté-Lyrique, with Lucy Arbell this time partnered by Vanni Marcoux (Don Quichotte) and Lucine Fugère (Sancho Panza). The subject, from Cervantes's masterpiece, had been versified by the young and extravagant writer Jacques Le Lorrain. The story is quite different from that of Miguel de Cervantes's hero, appearing, rather, as a self-portrait of the poet himself: the knight becomes a model of virtue, of generosity, driven by lofty ideals Dulcinée, from maid in an inn becomes a woman of the world. Massenet, who, despite the difficult period he was going through, conceived a rich score, full of verve and maturity.

MANON - ALBANESE, DI STEFANO,

Eloise Bella Kohn is a rare artist: eclectic pianist, record producer, festival founder, committed to intercultural dialogue, her passion for music, dance and literature drives a creativity that nourishes her universe from baroque music to contemporary repertoire. Eloise Bella Kohn is one of the most promising artists on today's classical music scene, and performs all over the world in prestigious concert halls and festivals.

Classical Music

Includes aria(s) by various composers. Soloist: Eva Gustavson.
Includes song(s) by various composers. Soloist: Eva Gustavson.

Classical Music

Deutsche Oper Berlin's production of Massenet's four-act version of Herodiade features an outstanding cast, including the Australian soprano Nicole Car and Canadian baritone Etienne Dupuis. This live recording from June 2023 is conducted by Deutsche Oper Berlin's principal guest conductor, Enrique Mazzola.

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