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"(and also Bacchus in July, if the concert is not cancelled...)"

Unfortunately, it is.
Third "unsung" opera to be cancelled/postponed this season in France, after La Carmélite (Hahn) [postponed to next season, apparently], and Psyché (Thomas) [hopefullly postponed ?]

https://www.br-klassik.de/programm/radio/ausstrahlung-1982018.html

Yes, Phryne will be recorded, and performed in Paris (concert version) and most probably a stage production in Rouen.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8697447--fernand-de-la-tombelle-musique-de-chambre-chorale-et-symphonique

Some audio excerpts.  Really exciting !

The cast of Don César de Bazan (Massenet) is :

LES FRIVOLITES PARISIENNES  Don César de Bazan... dans la boîte - (in the box, which means "recorded") [So, it should be issued in a few months from now, at the latest].

Du  13  au  17  février (2019),  enregistrement  pour  le  label  Naxos  de  Don  César  de  Bazan,  l'inédit  de  Massenet,  pépite de notre saison 2015-2016.

Don César, un Grand d'Espagne ruiné, se bat en duel pour sauver Lazarille des griffes d'un capitaine cruel. Un   édit   royal   ayant   interdit   les   duels   durant   la   Semaine  Sainte,  Don  César  est  arrêté  et  condamné  à  mort  par  pendaison.  Dans  la  cellule  de  sa  prison,  Don  José  trame  une  intrigue  amoureuse  savoureuse  et rocambolesque...

DON CÉSAR DE BAZAN « LE FANTASQUE », LAURENT NAOURI
MARITANA « L'AMBIGÜE »,ELSA DREISIG
LAZARILLE « LE FIDÈLE », MARION LEBÈGUE
DON JOSÉ DE SANTAREM «  LE MANIPULATEUR », CHRISTIAN HELMER
LE ROI,THOMAS BETTINGER
LE CAPITAINE, CHRISTIAN MOUNGOUNGOU
LE CHŒUR AEDES ET L'ORCHESTRE DES FRIVOLITÉS PARISIENNES SERONT DIRIGÉS PAR MATHIEU ROMANO

Well, such major planned releases will be expensive and probably/possibly linked to public performances, so I think we'll have to be patient.

Well, most of these are planned for this coming season (with, yes, staged or public performances), except for the Joncieres et the Halevy.

I forgot to mention a complete song album of Hahn (4 CDs) which is just out.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8675087--reynaldo-hahn-complete-songs

I've not heard plans on the series of Prix de Rome, yet, but I hope they'll go on, as there's still so much fascinating material to cover !!!

a particular favourite of mine is Gounod's Le Tribut de Zamora and Saint-Saen's Ascanio on B records.

Except Bru Zane had nothing to do with the recording of Ascanio.
But you have good reasons to rejoice as BZ plans many more exciting projects (among which) : 3 Reynaldo Hahn (L'Ile du Rêve, La Carmélite, O mon bel inconnu), Lancelot (Joncieres), Psyché (Thomas), Charles VI (Halévy), Phèdre (Lemoyne), Le Docteur Miracle (Lecocq, much less know than its Bizet counterpart), Yes (Yvain).
Just a reminder that they recently issued a set of 10 Cds with totally unknown material recorded in the last 10 years, as well as an exciting original version of Gounod's Faust....
There are also questions whether recent productions of rare works will see commercial issues : Madame Favart (Offenbach), Maitre Péronilla (Offenbach), Le Timbre d'Argent (Saint-Saëns). Another French rarity is due out soon : Massenet's Don César de Bazan (without PBZ).

"what are his other essential works?"
Not forgetting Der Zwerg, a lyric masterpiece.  Among his operas, I also like the little known "Kleider Machen Leute", but it's hard to find these days...

It's probably worth mentioning that this production will be issued on CD, as well as on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Here's an "unusual" request, in the sense that it doesn't really concern an "unsung" composer, but still it concerns a "rare" enough performance :
Here from France, I cannot access nor download the performance of Stephen Hough playing the Mendelssohn 1st concerto on Queen Victoria's own pianoforte.
Would someone be kind enough to download (if at all possible) and share it ?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0007tq5/bbc-proms-2019-queen-victorias-playlist
You'd be a darling, as they say accross the Channel !

"As for Die tote Stadt...since I wrote here, a few days ago, I have discovered that another 4 opera houses (two in Germany, one in Belgium and one in Russia !) are planning new productions of Die tote Stadt in 2020/21. Oh dear! Should I write and tell them how mistaken they are in wasting theirvaluable  time and resources in staging this 2nd rate work, when they could be presenting operas by Strauss or Puccini....?"

Certainly no, but you could suggest to them to take this opportunity to present staged versions of Violanta, which so many of us are impatiently waiting for, rather than a 300th Tote Stadt !

Funny, before reading these posts, I thought "well, it sounds rather very Mendelssohnian in some parts, but of course it can't be Mendelssohn"...

"Sorry for not having been able to response more professionally with my postings... Next time I better remain silent."

Why do you say that ? Your response was as interesting and valuable as that of Brendan Carroll or others.  I learned so many things about Korngold (whom I love !) in this thread !!!
Of course, your knowledge about "rare music" and forgotten composers, as attested by your many recordings (many of them I own !) is so valuable, even indispensable to this forum !

The Palazetto Bru Zane is also planning to program and record 2 of Hahn's stage works, next season :
L'Ile du Rêve, and a concert version of La Carmélite in Toulouse.
Complete and decent recordings of his delightful Malvina and Brummel, would be most welcome, but we'll still have to wait.

https://www.francemusique.fr/emissions/dimanche-a-l-opera/dimanche-a-l-opera-du-dimanche-23-juin-2019-73049

Probably you can download it from this link, or at least listen to this fun piece.
Some of the best pages of this delightful work have already been heard in the Offenbach pastiche "Christopher Columbus" marvelously recorded by Opera Rara in its early years.