MASSENET

massenet, jules emile frederic (1842- ), french composer, was born at montaud, on the 12th of may 1842. he studied at the paris conservatoire, where he obtained the grand prix de rome in 1863 with the cantata _david rizzio_. massenet became one of the most prolific composers of his time. his operas include the following: _la grande tante_, one act, opera comique (1867); _don cesar de bazan_, three acts, opera comique (1872); _le roi de lahore_, five acts, opera (1877); _herodiade_, five acts (brussels, 1881); _manon_, five acts, opera comique (1884); _le cid_, four acts, opera (1885); _esclarmonde_, four acts, opera comique (1889); _le mage_, five acts, opera (1891); _werther_, four acts (vienna, 1892); _thais_, three acts, opera (1894); _le portrait de manon_, one act, opera comique (1894); _la navarraise_, two acts (covent garden, 1894); _sapho_, opera comique (1897); _cendrillon_, opera comique (1900); _griselidis_, opera comique (1901); _le jongleur de notre dame_ (mentone, 1902). of these the most popular is manon. massenet's other works include _marie madeleine_, sacred drama (1873); _eve_, a mystery (1875); _la vierge_, sacred legend (1880); six orchestral suites entitled _scenes hongroises_, _scenes pittoresques_, _scenes dramatiques_, _scenes napolitaines_, _scenes de feerie_, _scenes alsaciennes_; music to the tragedy _les erynnies_, to _theodora_, _le crocodile_, _l'hetman_; a requiem, _narcisse_; an idyll, _biblis_; a _scene antique_; several sets of songs, entitled _poeme d'avril_, _poeme d'amour_, _poeme d'hiver_, _poeme d'octobre_, _poeme pastoral_, _poeme du souvenir_; also a large number of detached songs. he was professor of composition at the conservatoire from 1878 to 1896, among his pupils being hillemacher, marty, bruneau, vidal, pierne, leroux and charpentier. massenet undoubtedly possesses a style of his own. he is at his best in music descriptive of the tender passion, and many of the love scenes in his operas are very beautiful.