Massenet is much less unsung than used to be the case but his four large scale sacred works are hardly known. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know them lately. "Marie-Magdeleine", "Eve" and "La Vierge" are early works but have many characteristic pages while "La Terre Promise" is much later. It is a more austere work melodically but dramatically effective. Does anyone else know them?
Massenet is known for some of his operas, and a little for his piano concerto and the Alsatian suite.
Personally, I only moderately like his operas, on the other hand I really like the two oratorios that I know: The Virgin (entitled "Sacred Legend") from 1880, which tells the stages of Mary's life: The Annunciation, The Wedding at Cana, Good Friday, L'Assomption. Just before the Assumption is the only little known piece: the Prelude for orchestra entitled "the last sleep of the Virgin".
Marie-Magdeleine is entitled "sacred drama" for its first version created in 1873, then "lyric drama" for a revised version in 1906, which can be interpreted as an opera. Its 4 scenes (or acts) are La Magdaleene at the Fountain, Jesus at the Magdalenian, The Golgotha (the Magdalene at the Cross), The Tomb of Jesus and the Resurrection.
These two oratorios are magnificent.
I very much like the first three you mentioned; "La Terre Promise" I've yet to hear.
What do you like about each of the ones you've heard?
I love Massenet's fluid approach to melody. It is so suited to characterisation in opera and is the main reason his characters come alive. The three earlier "oratorios" ( a word which isn't really appropriate for these works ) are full of lovely lyrical music some of which which wouldn't be out of place as love music in an opera. Try, for example, "Aimons-nous! Aimer c'est vivre!" from "Eve", the duet for Jesus and Méryem in Act 2 of "Marie-Magdeleine" and, from the same work, Méryem's aria "O bien-aimé". From "La Vierge", Mary's aria "Ah! d'un charme inconnu je suis toute enivrée" is a particular highlight. Caballé sang it and made a DVD of the whole work though it doesn't show her at her best.
"La Terre Promise" is a much later and more austere work, using traditional forms associated with oratorio ( there are a couple of fine fugues ) although the second section which depicts the fall of the walls of Jericho is far more operatic in style. It's highly effective. It's almost as though Massenet had an eye to posterity when he wrote "La Terre Promise" and was concerned in particular to avoid any suggestion of sentimentality. Overall, it's a very fine work but neither the most attractive of them nor the one most characteristic of the composer.
You may not feel, though, particularly refreshed or inspired spiritually after having listened to a Massenet "oratorio". Elgar was better at that!
Thanks for that closer look!
There was a DVD recording of La Terra Promise issued back in 2013 - I reviewed it then for MusicWeb International. The work itself was of some considerable interest, clearly influenced in places by the Berlioz Requiem, but the performance (a live relay from a Paris concert in 2012) was nothing special - some of Massenet's most extravagant orchestral demands were scaled back - and the presentation, entirely in French, was clearly not intended for an international market. I am presuming that the DVD [Codaex 3.503ro2.000402] has long been unavailable.
I reviewed the CD recording of "La Terre Promise" earlier this year for Amazon.co.uk ( I'm "someonewhocares2" ) and referred to your useful MusicWeb review. Surprisingly, since the artwork on the front cover is identical, the CD and DVD performances are not the same, the CD performance dating from some 12 years earlier. Since you were critical of the tenor Patrick Garayt on the DVD version, I recommended the CD recording which seemed to me excellent although, as in the DVD performance, the forces employed are smaller than Massenet requested. In fact, Garyat is also the tenor on the CD version but, in 2000, he was 12 years younger!
Massenet is much less unsung than used to be the case but his four large scale sacred works are hardly known. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know them lately. "Marie-Magdeleine", "Eve" and "La Vierge" are early works but have many characteristic pages while "La Terre Promise" is much later. It is a more austere work melodically but dramatically effective. Does anyone else know them?
I started a thread on this subject a while ago. Your thread has exactly the same heading as mine and your post duplicates mine word for word. Why? If you're interested in this topic, please refer to the earlier thread. Any comments, moderators?
Apologies: I hadn't noticed. Threads duly merged.
Asleep at the wheel, Revilod. Guilty as charged, I'm afraid.