http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63145&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss(born: Montand, St Etienne, 12 May 1842; died: Paris, 13 Aug 1912). <p>French composer. His family moved to Paris in 1847 and he entered the Conservatoire at the age of 11 as a piano pupil of Adolphe Laurent. He later studied harmony with Reber and composition with Ambroise Thomas, winning the Prix de Rome in 1863. In Rome he got to know Liszt and, through him, Constance de Sainte Marie, who became his pupil and, in 1866 after his return to Paris, his wife. The following year his opera La grandtante was given at the Opéra-Comique, and in1873 Marie-Magdeleine at the Théâtre de lOdéon initiated a series of drames sacrés based on the lives of female biblical characters. Many of his secular operas, too, are in effect portraits of women. <p> In 1878 Massenet was made a teacher of composition at the Conservatoire, where he remained all his life, influencing many younger French composers, including Charpentier, Koechlin, Pierné and Hahn. In his own music he began to move away from the suave, sentimental melodic style derived from Gounod and to adopt a more Wagnerian type of lyrical declamation. The change is apparent in Manon (1884), which placed Massenet in the forefront of French opera composers, and still more in Werther (1892). <p> But as early as 1877, in Hérodiade, Massenet had begun to modify the symmetry and loosen the syntax of his melodies to give them a more speaking, intimate, conversational character. Repetitions are usually masked or transferred to the orchestra while the voice takes a lyrical recitative line in the Wagnerian manner; literal repetitions are carefully calculated to provide an insistent, emotional quality. Often his melodies have a swaying, hesitant character (9/8 or 6/8) - first and most effectively used in Act 1 of Manon to express a girl's hesitant yet delighted awareness of her own charms. By Werther, the relationship of voice and orchestra is more sophisticated, and that opera contains clear examples of Massenet's dissolution of formal melody into rhapsodic recitative-like writing as evolved by Wagner. Massenet's music is harmonically conservative, rarely venturing beyond modest chromaticisms; rhythmically, it is original in the variations he uses to give the melody a more caressing, intimate character. He had a characteristically French ear for orchestral nuance. Though primarily a lyrical composer, he was also a master of scenes of action, as for example at the opening of Manon.Romanticen720Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:30:37 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63145&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss (born: Montand, St Etienne, 12 May 1842; died: Paris, 13 Aug 1912). <p>French composer. His family moved to Paris in 1847 and he entered the Conservatoire at the age of 11 as a piano pupil of Adolphe Laurent. He later studied harmony with Reber and composition with Ambroise Thomas, winning the Prix de Rome in 1863. In Rome he got to know Liszt and, through him, Constance de Sainte Marie, who became his pupil and, in 1866 after his return to Paris, his wife. The following year his opera La grandtante was given at the Opéra-Comique, and in1873 Marie-Magdeleine at the Théâtre de lOdéon initiated a series of drames sacrés based on the lives of female biblical characters. Many of his secular operas, too, are in effect portraits of women. <p> In 1878 Massenet was made a teacher of composition at the Conservatoire, where he remained all his life, influencing many younger French composers, including Charpentier, Koechlin, Pierné and Hahn. In his own music he began to move away from the suave, sentimental melodic style derived from Gounod and to adopt a more Wagnerian type of lyrical declamation. The change is apparent in Manon (1884), which placed Massenet in the forefront of French opera composers, and still more in Werther (1892). <p> But as early as 1877, in Hérodiade, Massenet had begun to modify the symmetry and loosen the syntax of his melodies to give them a more speaking, intimate, conversational character. Repetitions are usually masked or transferred to the orchestra while the voice takes a lyrical recitative line in the Wagnerian manner; literal repetitions are carefully calculated to provide an insistent, emotional quality. Often his melodies have a swaying, hesitant character (9/8 or 6/8) - first and most effectively used in Act 1 of Manon to express a girl's hesitant yet delighted awareness of her own charms. By Werther, the relationship of voice and orchestra is more sophisticated, and that opera contains clear examples of Massenet's dissolution of formal melody into rhapsodic recitative-like writing as evolved by Wagner. Massenet's music is harmonically conservative, rarely venturing beyond modest chromaticisms; rhythmically, it is original in the variations he uses to give the melody a more caressing, intimate character. He had a characteristically French ear for orchestral nuance. Though primarily a lyrical composer, he was also a master of scenes of action, as for example at the opening of Manon. http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17341393&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.17341393 alb.17341393 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Massenet: Manon (April 8, 2006) alb.17341393 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/2/3/1/1151325_170x170.jpg 2007-11-20 00:00:00.0 2006-04-08 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17341393&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17341393&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.10562517&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Wed, 9 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.10562517 alb.10562517 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Scenes Pittoresques Orchestra Suite in Four Movements alb.10562517 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/9/0/3/8/848309_170x170.jpg 2005-11-09 00:00:00.0 2005-11-09 00:00:00.0 false false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.10562517&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.10562517&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.6070478&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 1 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.6070478 alb.6070478 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Piano Music alb.6070478 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/1/6/8/978610_170x170.jpg 2004-06-01 00:00:00.0 2004-05-25 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.6070478&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.6070478&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.5097673&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.5097673 alb.5097673 Jules Massenet art.63145 5.99 Orchestral wotrks alb.5097673 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/2/3/1/1191322_170x170.jpg 2008-02-26 00:00:00.0 2004-02-06 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.5097673&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.5097673&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13689763&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Fri, 5 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.13689763 alb.13689763 Jules Massenet art.63145 11.99 La Vierge - legende sacree pour soli, chœur et orchestre alb.13689763 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/9/7/987940_170x170.jpg 2007-01-05 00:00:00.0 2004-01-01 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13689763&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13689763&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.297613&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Mon, 6 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.297613 alb.297613 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Great Recordings of the Century alb.297613 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/4/4/1/591445_170x170.jpg 2003-10-06 00:00:00.0 2003-11-11 00:00:00.0 false false http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.297613&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.297613&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.322743&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Thu, 12 Oct 2000 00:00:00 -0700 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.322743 alb.322743 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Werther alb.322743 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/1/8/1/401810_170x170.jpg 2000-10-12 00:00:00.0 2000-10-12 00:00:00.0 false false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.322743&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.322743&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13268010&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 14 Mar 2000 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.13268010 alb.13268010 Jules Massenet art.63145 16.99 Werther alb.13268010 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/3/7/4/0/970473_170x170.jpg 2000-03-14 00:00:00.0 2000-03-14 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13268010&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13268010&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13689776&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Fri, 5 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.13689776 alb.13689776 Jules Massenet art.63145 7.99 La Terre Promise - oratorio pour soli, chœur et orchestre alb.13689776 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/3/5/9/7/987953_170x170.jpg 2007-01-05 00:00:00.0 2000-01-01 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13689776&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13689776&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.285840&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Wed, 31 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.285840 alb.285840 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Manon alb.285840 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/0/5/1/681506_170x170.jpg 2004-03-31 00:00:00.0 1998-08-25 00:00:00.0 false false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.285840&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.285840&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13268056&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 9 Jan 2001 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.13268056 alb.13268056 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Manon alb.13268056 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/9/1/5/0/970519_170x170.jpg 2001-01-09 00:00:00.0 1998-08-25 00:00:00.0 false false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13268056&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13268056&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.252162&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 11 Apr 1995 00:00:00 -0700 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.252162 alb.252162 Jules Massenet art.63145 7.99 Herodiade/Suites Nos. 1-3 alb.252162 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/2/6/6/396628_170x170.jpg 1995-04-11 00:00:00.0 1995-04-11 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.252162&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.252162&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.192437&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 11 Apr 1995 00:00:00 -0700 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.192437 alb.192437 Jules Massenet art.63145 7.99 Orchestral Suites Nos. 4-7 alb.192437 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/3/1/1/501134_170x170.jpg 1995-04-11 00:00:00.0 1995-04-11 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.192437&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.192437&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.321306&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Mon, 1 Apr 1991 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.321306 alb.321306 Jules Massenet art.63145 7.99 Orchestral Suites alb.321306 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/4/5/9/899545_170x170.jpg 1991-04-01 00:00:00.0 1991-04-01 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.321306&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.321306&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17341385&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.17341385 alb.17341385 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Massenet: Werther (February 3, 1979) alb.17341385 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/1/3/1/1151316_170x170.jpg 2007-11-20 00:00:00.0 1979-02-03 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17341385&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17341385&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17328678&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.17328678 alb.17328678 Jules Massenet art.63145 0.0 Massenet: Esclarmonde (December 11, 1976) alb.17328678 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/5/5/0/1150555_170x170.jpg 2007-11-20 00:00:00.0 1976-12-12 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17328678&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17328678&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.261464&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss Romantic Tue, 11 Aug 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Jules Massenet Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.261464 alb.261464 Jules Massenet art.63145 8.99 La Navarraise alb.261464 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/4/8/0/1280841_170x170.jpg 1998-08-11 00:00:00.0 1975-01-01 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.261464&variant=play&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.261464&variant=data&rws=%2Fjules-massenet%2Fdiscography.rss