Songs with orchestra – II

Massenet is perhaps best known as a master of French opera, but his contribution to the genre of mélodie deserves a re-evaluation - as shown by this programme of beautifully orchestrated songs, which have all been preserved in manuscript form. The Expressions lyriques are the highlight of these experiments in which speech and song merge. The cycle Chansons des bois d'Amaranthe is also characterized by the originality of the instrumentation: a quartet of singers in dialogue with an orchestra, enlivened by a lively piano part.