'Ariane' (1906) is
a far more serious affair. It is a return to the grander manner of
'Herodiade' and 'Le Cid,' and proves conclusively that the musician's
hand has not lost its cunning. Catulle Mendes's libretto is a clever
embroidery of the world-old tale of Ariadne and Theseus, the figure of
the gentle Ariadne being happily contrasted with that of the fiery and
passionate Phaedra, who succeeds her sister in the affections of the
fickle Theseus. The death of Phaedra, who is crushed by a statue of
Adonis which she had insulted, is followed by a curious and striking
scene in Hades, whither Ariadne descends in order to bring her sister
back to the world of life. The opera, according to tradition, ends with
the flight of Theseus and Phaedra, while the deserted Ariadne finds death
in the arms of the sirens, who tempt her to seek eternal rest in the
depths of the sea. Massenet's music is conspicuous for anything rather
than novelty of invention or treatment, but though he is content to
tread well-worn paths, he does so with all his old grace and distinction
of manner, and many of the scenes in 'Ariane' are treated with an
uncommon degree of spirit and energy.
Massenet's latest work, 'Therese' (1907), is a return to the breathless,
palpitating style of 'La Navarraise.' It is a story of the revolution,
high-strung and emotional. Therese is the wife of the Girondin Thorel,
who has bought the castle of Clerval, in the hope of eventually
restoring it to its former owner, Armand de Clerval.
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