# What do you think of Massanet's "Don Quichotte"?



## marceliotstein (Feb 23, 2019)

Hi friends - I am planning an episode on Massanet's literary operas for my "Lost Music: Exploring Literary Opera" podcast. I'd love to know anybody's opinions specifically on his late opera "Don Quichotte". I have been really enjoying listening to this one, and I understand it was popular in its time, but that it fell out of fashion around the world when this review by Lawrence Gilman was published in New York City:

http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=93070

Reading this today, it seems clear to me that Gilman's dislike of Massanet's opera was based on various principles and lofty opinions, but it's too bad that a very enjoyable opera doesn't get much play. I'd love to hear some more thoughts about this opera from the knowledgeable people here.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

marceliotstein said:


> Hi friends - I am planning an episode on Massanet's literary operas for my "Lost Music: Exploring Literary Opera" podcast. I'd love to know anybody's opinions specifically on his late opera "Don Quichotte". I have been really enjoying listening to this one, and I understand it was popular in its time, but that it fell out of fashion around the world when this review by Lawrence Gilman was published in New York City:
> 
> http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=93070
> 
> Reading this today, it seems clear to me that Gilman's dislike of Massanet's opera was based on various principles and lofty opinions, but it's too bad that a very enjoyable opera doesn't get much play. I'd love to hear some more thoughts about this opera from the knowledgeable people here.


Here's my overview of Massenet's operas: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Aug/Massenet_article.pdf

There's an excellent dossier here: http://artlyriquefr.fr/oeuvres/Don Quichotte - Massenet.html


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I think Massenet wasn't particularly consistent as an opera composer and whilst there are very good passages in his works, there are lots of moments of pure dross. His best stretch of music is Werther act three, that is one continuous piece of dramatico-musical excellence. His other works have their moments, but none of his operas comes close overall to Manon. Le Cid is well worth hearing and I also like Thais, but those four works are the only ones that have another inspired moments to really make them worth my listening. I have seen Cendrillon and whilst it has some fine moments, it's not a great opera overall. Le Roi de Lahore and Esclarmonde have some good music in, but they too suffer from being patchy.

I don't know Don Quichotte very much at all, but what I have heard hasn't grabbed me.

N.


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## marceliotstein (Feb 23, 2019)

Thanks, The Conte. What you say is mostly consistent with my own reaction - I saw Manon at the Met and was very pleased by everything about it. I was scheduled to see Werther this spring too, but it was cancelled when the Met shutdown. My main experience with the various Massenet operas comes from listening to and sampling various recordings. Manon is great to listen too, Werther is pretty good too ... but when I recently listened to Don Quichotte on a whim, just to see if I happened to like it, I was immediately surprised by the dynamic, exciting music. Various infectious beats and Spanish flavors reminded me more of "Carmen" than anything else Massenet has done. It sure sounds great to me! But thanks, Conte, for sharing your opinion.

And thanks too to Dr. Shatterhand - actually, I already do have many published texts and sources of information about these operas, but what I really like best is to hear people's personal opinions!


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

I wish they filmed it with Furlanetto.


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## marceliotstein (Feb 23, 2019)

Now that I've read the extensive coverage of all Massenet's operas sent by "Dr. Shatterhands"' above - thank you again! This is a very helpful document, and I'm glad you affirm what I began this thread by noticing - that there is something unusually fresh about his late work "Don Quichotte". I'm also glad this article points out that Massenet's "Don Quichotte" was a success with audiences wherever it played. Though this article points out that it has never quite fallen out of the repertoire, I do think it has fallen out of the repertoire as far as my local house (the Met) goes, and this is a real shame.

If it's true that the terrible review by Lawrence Gilman I mentioned above is the reason for the Met ignoring this work, that's the Met's mistake. I'm all for listening to critics when they criticize bad operas. But "Don Quichotte" is not a bad opera. Audiences loved it. I listen to it today and I love it. The fact that Lawrence Gilman didn't consider it sophisticated or modern enough for his exalted tastes in 1926 should not override the wise opinions of audiences. They loved the show, and as far as I can hear there are plenty of good reasons to love it.


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