The premiere of La Navarraise was enthusiastically received, with George Bernard Shaw, then a music critic, praising the production for being truly 'produced' rather than 'shovelled onto the stage'.
Composition History
The inspiration for La Navarraise, which marked a stylistic departure towards verismo for composer Jules Massenet, came from soprano Emma Calvé, who was acclaimed for her acting and famous for her roles in Mascagni's operas.
Composer Biography
Jules Massenet, the composer, had a long operatic career that began in 1867 and continued with posthumous productions after his death in 1912.
Notable Performances
La Navarraise debuted at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London on June 20, 1894, with a star-studded cast including Emma Calvé as Anita.
Composition History
La Navarraise was one of three works premiered in 1894, a period of high productivity and fame for composer Jules Massenet.
Compositional Technique
Composer Jules Massenet specified that the two bells in the final scene of La Navarraise should have a 'very solemn and very deep sound' and be placed offstage to create a 'powerful, distant and lugubrious' effect.
Compositional Technique
Massenet's biographer James Harding called La Navarraise 'the noisiest opera Massenet ever wrote,' featuring numerous stage effects like clapping, tambourine rattling, castanets, trumpet calls, bells, and cannon fire.
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