Jules MASSENET (1842-1912)
Mélodies
Track-list at end of review
Sabine Revault d’Allonnes (soprano)
Samuel Jean (piano)
Matthieu Fontana (cello)
rec. Vincennes Town Hall, 29-31 October 2011
TIMPANI 1C1191 [50.39]
The great French baritone Pierre Bernac wrote in his book The interpretation
of French song that “Massenet abandoned himself to his unique gift and
fluency which, in his mélodies, led to a sugary sentimentalism. They
cannot be recommended.” These words seem to have been sufficient to deter
most potential performers. They are quoted in part in the booklet notes for
this release, which is frank enough to admit that not all of Massenet’s 250
songs are “of equal worth” - of which composer could that not be said? - but
seeks to present a sufficient collection, assembled by the singer here, to
prove Bernac’s statement at least only a partial truth.
For many years Massenet was principally remembered for his early operas Manon
and Werther. From the 1970s onwards the appearances of complete recordings
of later works such as Esclarmonde, Thaïs with the central
dramatic scene in the final Act restored (it was cut in the first complete
recording made during the 1950s), Thérèse, La Navarraise and Don
Quichotte established him as much more than just a composer of sentimental
romances. We discovered from encounters with these scores that he wrote highly
dramatic verismo as well as operas on the grandest scale. He continued
to experiment with new ideas and styles. His posthumous Amadis with
its totally orchestral opening Act in the form of a tone poem shows that this
expanding creative impulse remained vibrant to the end of his life.
Most of the songs here come from late in Massenet’s career - many indeed from
the year of his death - when he was already increasingly experimental, and
the song cycle Lyrical expressions is certainly that. He mingles
spoken and sung voice in these ten songs, which are in effect highly dramatic
little operatic scenas for voice and piano showing the influence
of Wolf as well as French models. The delightfully insouciant piano accompaniment
to Battlement d’ailes even anticipates Bernac’s beloved Poulenc.
La dernière lettre de Werther sets a poem by the historian Roger
de Goncaut-Biron. It finds Massenet recalling his own Werther of
some twenty years earlier - a performance of which had actually inspired the
poem - with a wistfulness which rivals passages in Ravel’s Shéhérazade.
This cycle was composed for the contralto Lucy Arbell, for whom Massenet had
already created the title roles in his operas Thérèse, Cléopatre
and Amadis, and whose dramatic talents he admired. They are presumably
given here with upward transposition for d’Allonnes, but one can imagine that
a lower voice could give them even greater force. Some of the spoken passages
are extremely expressionist, almost anticipating the melodramatic experiments
of Schoenberg in their use of a French version of Sprechgesang. We
are here a very long way indeed from Bernac’s “sugary sentimentalism”.
The three songs with cello and piano accompaniment come from between ten and
thirty years earlier, although Le printemps visite la terre already
shows signs of Massenet’s expanding dramatic accomplishments. In this song
the rather effete cello detracts from rather than enhances the effect, especially
since the player sounds somewhat backwardly balanced. Élégie is probably
Massenet’s best-known song, although more usually in its version for solo
cello than with voice. Here Fontana is more forward in the frame and matches
d’Allonnes perfectly in a scale which moves the music firmly out of the realm
of the salon and into the concert hall. The setting of Amours
bénis is less interesting and the cello, which introduces the main melodic
material, cannot entirely escape the salon atmosphere redolent of
the Palm Court.
Of the songs with purely piano accompaniment, the late Heure vécu
is a delightful trifle; but the contemporary Victor Hugo settings Soleil
couchant and La nuit are something much more serious with emphatic
piano chordal passages and dramatic declamation. La mort de la cigale
with its almost coloratura passages proves something of a strain
for d’Allonnes, but she is superb in the Hugo settings and Jean is a superb
accompanist.
The song cycle Poème d’octobre which brings this disc to a conclusion
is the earliest composition here. Not surprisingly it is much more conventional
than the later mélodies, with a style that in places does not advance
much beyond Gounod. But what beautiful music is contained within it! And there
are occasional passages which remind one of Debussy’s early songs – with which
they are more or less contemporary – where Massenet introduces almost parlando
passages for the singer. It should be noted that it is only in these songs
on this disc that Massenet resorts to the repetition of lines and stanzas;
otherwise the music is always a fresh response to new words.
So, is Bernac’s judgement on Massenet’s melodies at all accurate?
On the basis of the songs on this disc it must be regarded as totally wide
of the mark, although one might be willing to concede that others of the 250
might indeed fit Bernac’s description better. One can only be grateful to
these artists for their choice of items which expands our views of Massenet’s
still underestimated muse to as yet undreamed-of new horizons. Perhaps Graham
Johnson might be persuaded to look further in his comprehensive surveys of
French songs to see if there are yet more undiscovered gems? If not, further
exploration by these present artists would be more than welcome.
Paul Corfield Godfrey
Expands our views of Massenet’s still underestimated muse to as yet undreamed-of
new horizons.
Track list
Expressions lyriques (1912) [24.09]
Le printemps visite la terre (1901) [1.34]
On dit! (1901) [2.31]
La lettre (1907) [2.29]
Élégie (1881) [3.00]
Heure vécue (1912) [1.34]
Soleil couchant (1912) [3.22]
La nuit (1912) [3.10]
La mort de la cigale (1911) [2.46]
Amours bénis (1899) [3.37]
Poème d’octobre (1877) [11.25]