Canon
Where to start with Massenet
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
OrchestralMéditation, for violin and orchestra
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StageManon — Opera
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Vocal10 Expressions lyriques, songs for voice and piano
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Keyboard10 Pièces de genre, op. 10
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StageThaïs — Opera
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StageWerther — Opera
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Keyboard2 Impromptus
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Keyboard2 Pièces
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Vocal5 Poème d'octobre, prelude and songs for voice and piano
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VocalAbsence
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VocalAmours bénis, for soprano, horn and piano
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VocalAmours bénis: Une aube fraîche et printanière, for voice, cello and piano
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StageBacchus
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OrchestralCendrillon — Suite from the opera
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StageCendrillon — Opera
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Massenet's catalogueMost Popular
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Thaïs — Méditation
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Manon (opera)
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Werther (opera)
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Élégie (cello/voice)
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Le Cid (opera) — ballet suite
Most Acclaimed
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Manon
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Werther
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Esclarmonde (opera)
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Don Quichotte (opera)
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La Navarraise (opera)
Most Weird
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Esclarmondeopera — the soprano must wear a veil for most of Act II; supernatural fantasy; written for the superhuman voice of Sibyl Sanderson
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Grisélidis (lyric tale)the Devil tries to seduce a faithful wife — operatic fairy tale
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Le Jongleur de Notre-Damethe juggler who juggles before the Virgin Mary — the tenor role originally required an acrobat
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Chérubinsequel to Marriage of Figaro — follows Cherubino as a young man
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HérodiadeSalome story — told from Salome’s perspective as a woman in love
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 75
- Orchestral
- ● Méditation, for violin and orchestra
- Cendrillon — Suite from the opera
- Cendrillon
- Devant la Madonne
- Esclarmonde — Suite from the opera
- Fantaisie for Cello and Orchestra
- Hérodiade
- Le Cid — Suite from the opera
- Phèdre — Incidental music
- Suite no. 1, op. 13
- Suite no. 2, "Scènes hongroises"
- Suite no. 3, "Scènes dramatiques d'après Shakespeare"
- Suite no. 4 for orchestra, "Scènes pittoresques"
- Suite no. 5, "Scènes napolitaines"
- Suite no. 6, "Scènes de féerie"
- Suite no. 7
- Thaïs
- Stage
- Manon — Opera
- Thaïs — Opera
- Werther — Opera
- Bacchus
- Cendrillon — Opera
- Chérubin — Opera
- Cléopâtre — Opera
- Don Quichotte
- Esclarmonde — Opera
- Grisélidis — Opera
- Herodiade
- Hérodiade — Opera
- La Vierge — Oratorio
- La navarraise — Opera
- Le Cid — Opera
- Le cigale — Ballet
- Le roi de Lahore — Opera
- Les érinnyes — Opera
- Manon — Ballet
- Roma
- Sapho — Opera
- Thais Ballet Music
- Thérèse — Opera
- Werther, lyric drama in 4 acts
- Ève, mystery drama in 3 acts
- Vocal
- 10 Expressions lyriques, songs for voice and piano
- 5 Poème d'octobre, prelude and songs for voice and piano
- Absence
- Amours bénis, for soprano, horn and piano
- Amours bénis: Une aube fraîche et printanière, for voice, cello and piano
- Chants intimes, 3 songs for voice and piano
- Huere vécue: Une nuit brune d'un soir d'hiver, for voice and piano
- La Vierge — Oratorio
- La lettre: Je mets sur le papier luisant, for voice and piano
- La mort de la cigale, for voice and piano
- La nuit: Parfois, losque tout dort, for voice and piano
- Le Printemps visite la terre, for voice and piano
- Marquise: Vous en souvenez-vous, Marquise?
- Nuit d'Espagne: L'air est embaumé
- Oh! si les fleurs avaient des yeux
- On dit: On dit beaucoup de choses, for voice and piano
- Ouvre tes yeux bleus, for voice and piano
- Pensée d'automne: L'an fuit vers son déclin
- Poème d'avril, cycle of 8 songs, op. 14
- Poëme d'amour, for soprano, baritone, and piano
- Poëme pastoral, for baritone, 3 female voices, and piano
- Soleil couchant: Le soleil s'est couché ce soir, for voice and piano
- Sonnet: Les grands bois s'éveillaient
- Souvenez-vous, Vierge Mari: Prière de Saint Bernard, for tenor, chorus, organ, and orchestra
- Stances de Gilbert: Au banquet de la vie, infortuné
- Élégie: O doux printemps d'autrefois
- Keyboard
- 10 Pièces de genre, op. 10
- 2 Impromptus
- 2 Pièces
- Toccata in B flat major
- Valse folle
- Valse très lente
- Chamber
- Morceau a déchiffrer, for bassoon and piano