Remarkable collection of 19 autograph letters in French by Jules Massenet, mostly signed "J. Massenet" or "Massenet," with a few initialed or left unsigned, totaling over 40 pages, dated from 1895 to 1899. Most are written to his his daughter or son-in-law, Juliette and Léon Bessand, and several of his hand-addressed original mailing envelopes are included.
Highlights include:
September 22, 1895: Massenet "Calvé suffering.—Carvalho very anxious about the delay of the premiere...Departure to Vienna cannot take place!—Wait to send letter usher.—The theater is in great trouble."
October 5, 1895: "I leave at once for the rehearsals of Werther and in a few days I will be in Brussels."
January 31, 1895: Massenet gives his friend's address to someone in Bordeaux in order to "submit an opera poem, I believe. I often receive such proposals—and you will get used to it! Sometimes, however, an idea may arise... What are you doing? I want to know what your first shipment will be—I am counting on you—and I am waiting for something beautiful...Paris is in the snow, the mud, the cold. The theaters are quite full, however. They insist on playing Manon and Thaïs! tonight, tomorrow and Saturday—strange! I am going to spend 8 days in Brussels and in Belgium for Thaïs, la Navarraise and le Roi de Lahore."
September 9, 1897: "We work at the theater & I think all the time of the pleasure I will have to make you see Sapho & the Thaïs-nova.—Gailhard, yesterday, asked Léon for the ballet!—Tonight: Werther.—In a few days Manon." In overall fine condition.
We use cookies on this site to improve your experience. By using this site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.
