May 12, 2014.Massenet and Fauré.Jules Massenet was born on this day in 1842 in Saint-Étienne, France.The family moved to Paris when Jules was six.At the age of 11 he entered the Paris Conservatory (admission age was as low as nine).One of his teachers there was the composer Ambroise Thomas; they continued a relationship even after Massenet’s graduation.In 1862 he won the coveted Prix de Rome and went to study in Rome for three years.Massenet wrote his first opera, La grand' tante, in 1866 (it was staged a year later in Opéra-Comique) but it was not till 1884 that he met real success.That year he wrote Manon, the opera based on Abbé Prévost’s novel about the chevalier des Grieux and his lightheaded lover, Manon Lescaut.The opera was staged at the same Opéra-Comique in January of 1884. It immediately became very popular and a staple of the Opéra-Comique’s repertoire, with thousands of performances in the following years.Its fame spread around Europe and South America.Victoria de los Ángeles, Anna Moffo, Beverly Sills were among the famous Manons, Enrico Caruso and Beniamino Gigli sung the role of des Grieux.Eight years later, in 1892, Massenet was almost as successful with another opera, Werther.Massenet wrote 25 operas in all, but only one other, Thais, approached the level he had reached in Manon.Here’s a duet “Tu pleures!...”, the finale of the opera, performed by Ms. Sills as Manon and the great Swedish tenor, Nicolai Gedda as des Grieux.The recording was made in 1970.
Another French composer, Gabriel Fauré, was born on the same day three years later, in 1845.While Massenet was a conservative composer with a wonderful melodic gift, Fauré was a much more complex figure.In France, he in many ways served as a bridge between the Romanticism of the mid-19th century and 20th century music.His harmonies influenced the “impressionists,” Debussy and Ravel and even composers of subsequent generation.A professor for many years and eventually the head of the Paris Conservatory, he had a large number of pupils and by the time he retired from the Conservatory at the age of 75, he was considered a national institution.Two years later, in 1922, he was celebrated in an event organized by the President of the Republic.But in 1845, when Fauré was born, France was a very different place, both culturally and politically.Louis-Philippe was the King, Chopin was still alive, Schumann was at the height of his creative powers, and Hector Berlioz reigned on the French music scene.Fauré was born in a small town of Pamiers, in the southwest of France. His family was not musical, but as a boy he loved to play a harmonium in the chapel of his school.When he was nine, his father sent him to Paris, to study in the recently opened École de Musique Classique et Religieuse (School of Classical and Religious Music).He stayed at the school for 11 years.In 1861 Camille Saint-Saëns joined the school as the head of the piano department.Saint-Saëns introduced his students to contemporary music, including that of Wagner (in the Paris Conservatory, which at that time was headed by the opera composer Daniel Auber – who incidentally also wrote an opera called Manon Lescaut – Wagner was practically banned). Fauré became Saint-Saëns’s favorite pupil, and even though the teacher was 10 years older than the student, they became close friends.This friendship lasted for many years, till Saint-Saëns’s death in 1921.In 1866, upon graduating from the School, Fauré accepted a position of the organist in a church at Rennes, the main city of Brittany.Four years later he returned to Paris, not without Saint-Saëns’s help, as an assistant organist at the recently completed Notre-Dame de Clignancourt.At that time he was composing, but not much (and earning even less); it was not till 1880s that his art matured.Here’s his wonderful, Élégie (Elegy) for cello and piano.Written in 1880, it was first performed in 1883.An openly emotional piece, it was one of the last of the kind: very soon Fauré’s style turned more circumspect.We’ll hear it played by the 24 year-old Jacqueline du Pré, with Gerald Moore on the piano.
Claudio Monteverdi was also born this week.We’ll try to dedicate an entry to him alone (he fully deserves it) some other time.
Massenet and Fauré, 2014
May 12, 2014. Massenet and Fauré. Jules Massenet was born on this day in 1842 in Saint-Étienne, France. The family moved to Paris when Jules was six. At the age of 11 he entered the Paris Conservatory (admission age was as low as nine). One
of his teachers there was the composer Ambroise Thomas; they continued a relationship even after Massenet’s graduation. In 1862 he won the coveted Prix de Rome and went to study in Rome for three years. Massenet wrote his first opera, La grand' tante, in 1866 (it was staged a year later in Opéra-Comique) but it was not till 1884 that he met real success. That year he wrote Manon, the opera based on Abbé Prévost’s novel about the chevalier des Grieux and his lightheaded lover, Manon Lescaut. The opera was staged at the same Opéra-Comique in January of 1884. It immediately became very popular and a staple of the Opéra-Comique’s repertoire, with thousands of performances in the following years. Its fame spread around Europe and South America. Victoria de los Ángeles, Anna Moffo, Beverly Sills were among the famous Manons, Enrico Caruso and Beniamino Gigli sung the role of des Grieux. Eight years later, in 1892, Massenet was almost as successful with another opera, Werther. Massenet wrote 25 operas in all, but only one other, Thais, approached the level he had reached in Manon. Here’s a duet “Tu pleures!...”, the finale of the opera, performed by Ms. Sills as Manon and the great Swedish tenor, Nicolai Gedda as des Grieux. The recording was made in 1970.
Another French composer, Gabriel Fauré, was born on the same day three years later, in 1845. While Massenet was a conservative composer with a wonderful melodic gift, Fauré was a much more complex figure. In France, he in many ways served as a bridge between the Romanticism of the mid-19th century and 20th century music. His harmonies influenced the “impressionists,” Debussy and Ravel and even composers of subsequent generation. A professor for many years and eventually the head of the Paris Conservatory, he had a large number of pupils and by the time he retired from the Conservatory at the age of 75, he was considered a national institution. Two years later, in 1922, he was celebrated in an event organized by the President of the Republic. But in 1845, when Fauré was born, France was a very different place, both culturally and politically..jpg "Gabriel Fauré")
Louis-Philippe was the King, Chopin was still alive, Schumann was at the height of his creative powers, and Hector Berlioz reigned on the French music scene. Fauré was born in a small town of Pamiers, in the southwest of France. His family was not musical, but as a boy he loved to play a harmonium in the chapel of his school. When he was nine, his father sent him to Paris, to study in the recently opened École de Musique Classique et Religieuse (School of Classical and Religious Music). He stayed at the school for 11 years. In 1861 Camille Saint-Saëns joined the school as the head of the piano department. Saint-Saëns introduced his students to contemporary music, including that of Wagner (in the Paris Conservatory, which at that time was headed by the opera composer Daniel Auber – who incidentally also wrote an opera called Manon Lescaut – Wagner was practically banned). Fauré became Saint-Saëns’s favorite pupil, and even though the teacher was 10 years older than the student, they became close friends. This friendship lasted for many years, till Saint-Saëns’s death in 1921. In 1866, upon graduating from the School, Fauré accepted a position of the organist in a church at Rennes, the main city of Brittany. Four years later he returned to Paris, not without Saint-Saëns’s help, as an assistant organist at the recently completed Notre-Dame de Clignancourt. At that time he was composing, but not much (and earning even less); it was not till 1880s that his art matured. Here’s his wonderful, Élégie (Elegy) for cello and piano. Written in 1880, it was first performed in 1883. An openly emotional piece, it was one of the last of the kind: very soon Fauré’s style turned more circumspect. We’ll hear it played by the 24 year-old Jacqueline du Pré, with Gerald Moore on the piano.
Claudio Monteverdi was also born this week. We’ll try to dedicate an entry to him alone (he fully deserves it) some other time.