| Operas by Jules Massenet |
|---|
La grand'tante (1867) |
Sapho is an opera in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Cain and Arthur Bernède which was based on the novel of the same name by Alphonse Daudet. It was first performed at the Opéra Comique in Paris on November 27, 1897 with Emma Calvé as Fanny LeGrand. It is a charming and effective piece but has never earned a place in the standard operatic repertory. The story concerns an artist's model named Fanny LeGrand who begins an affair with a young man, Jean Gaussin. The relationship, as is always the case in opera, is ill-fated and ends with Fanny leaving Jean while he sleeps.
Principal characters
- Fanny LeGrand, an artist's model (soprano)
- Jean Gaussin, a young man (tenor)
- Irène, his sister (soprano)
- Divonne, his mother (mezzo-soprano)
- Césaire, his father bass
- Caoudal, a sculptor baritone
