Massé, Victor (actually, Félix-Marie)
Massé, Victor (actually, Félix-Marie)
Massé, Victor (actually, Félix-Marie),French composer and teacher; b. Lorient, Morbihan, March 7, 1822; d. Paris, July 5, 1884. He entered the Paris Cons. at 12 and studied with Zimmerman (premier prix in piano, 1839). After taking premiers prix in harmony (1840) and fugue (1843), he studied composition with Halévy. In 1844 he was awarded the Grand Prix de Rome for his cantata Le Renégat de Tanger. While in Rome, he composed a Mass and an opera, La Favorita e la schiava (e. 1845; Venice, 1855). After returning to Paris, he gained his first success as an opera composer with La Chanteuse voilée (Nov. 26, 1850). Then followed the most successful of his light operas, Les Noces de Jeannette (Feb. 4, 1853). In 1866 he was named prof, of counterpoint at the Paris Cons. In 1872 he was elected a member of the Institut de France.
Works
dramatic: opera (all 1st perf. in Paris unless otherwise given):La Favorita e la schiava (e. 1845; Venice, 1855); La Chambre gothique (1849); La Chanteuse voilée (Nov. 26, 1850); Galathée (April 14, 1852); Les Noces de Jeannette (Feb. 4, 1853); La Fiancée du Diable (June 3, 1854); Miss Fauvette (Feb. 13, 1855); Les Saisons (Dec. 22, 1855); La Reine Topaze (Dec. 27, 1856); Les Chaises à porteurs (April 28, 1858); La fee Caralosse (Feb. 28, 1859); La Mule de Pedro (March 6, 1863); Fio d’Aliza (Feb. 5, 1866); Le Fils du Brigadier (Feb. 25, 1867); Paul et Virginie (Nov. 15, 1876); Une Nuit de Cléopatre (April 25, 1885); several operettas. vocal: 2 cantatas (Le Renégat de Tanger, 1844; 1852); Mass; more than 100 songs and romances.
Bibliography
L. Delibes, Notice sur V. M. (Paris, 1885); J. Ropartz, V. M. (Paris, 1887); H. Delaborde, Notice sur la vie et les ouvrages de V. M. (Paris, 1888).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire