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.
