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Paris discovered Massenet's Griselidis at the Opera-Comique on 20 November 1901. The work is based on a medieval folktale retold by Boccaccio and Perrault, among others, and already set to music several times in the Baroque era. It gave Massenet the opportunity to handle the 'Gothic' colouring of which the early twentieth century could not get enough. The inventive libretto by Armand Silvestre and Eugene Morand explores unusually contrasted registers the religious, the fantastical, the sentimental and the warlike. Above all, the presence of a scene-stealing Devil, saddled with a cantankerous wife, offers the possibility of contrasting the serious (or sublime) and the comic (or grotesque). Massenet thus produced a rare example of cross-genre equilibrium, a jewel of French demi-caractere, typical of the Opera-Comique repertory. Although the opera renounces spoken dialogue, theatrical declamation nevertheless creeps into a few particularly successful scenes. Two magnificent baritone roles - the Marquis and the Devil - oppose each other with the full trappings of Romantic vocality, while Griselidis makes a noble and introspective heroine, the perfect model of the French soprano. Album Tracks 1. Grisélidis~Prologue Prélude et Arioso Ouvrez-vous sur mon front 2. Grisélidis~Prologue Scène Prieur, de ces côtés on l’aura vu peut-être 3. Grisélidis~Prologue Air Voir Grisélidis, c’est connaître 4. Grisélidis~Prologue Scène Ah! voyez... le marquis. 5. Grisélidis~Prologue Arioso Toi qui portes la paix du ciel 6. Grisélidis~Prologue Arioso La volonté du ciel sans doute étant la vôtre 7. Grisélidis~Prologue Scène finale Au château par la main 8. Grisélidis~Acte premier Prélude 9. Grisélidis~Acte premier Couplets En Avignon, pays d’amour 10. Grisélidis~Acte premier Scène Chut! les chansons d’amour ont fait leur temps 11. Grisélidis~Acte
