Biennale Massenet

ℹ️ Festival discontinued. The Biennale Massenet, the Saint-Étienne Opera's biennial opera festival dedicated to Jules Massenet, has not been held in this format since the mid-2010s. No 2026 edition is scheduled. The Saint-Étienne Opera remains active and continues to champion Massenet's work in its regular lyrical seasons.

The Massenet Biennial: a unique festival dedicated to the Stéphanois composer

Jules Massenet (1842-1912), born in Montaud, a suburb of Saint-Étienne, is one of the most prolific and frequently performed French opera composers of the late 19th century. Author of over twenty-five operas — including Manon, Werther, Thaïs, and Le Cid — he profoundly marked the history of French lyrical music. Yet, a large part of his catalogue remained unknown or absent from the stage when the Saint-Étienne Opera decided to create a festival in his honor.

Birth of the festival (1990)

In 1988, the presentation of Amadis met with considerable success in Saint-Étienne. The following year, Thérèse was staged for the bicentenary of the French Revolution. Building on these two successes, Jean-Louis Pichon, director of the Maison de la Culture et de la Communication, and Patrick Fournillier, musical director of the Opera, decided to found the Biennale Massenet. The first edition took place in November 1990 with the recreation of the opera Cléopâtre and the oratorio La Vierge.

Editions of rediscovery (1990 — mid-2010s)

The Biennial saw a dozen editions, each centered on a rare or lesser-known work by Massenet:

• 1990: Cléopâtre, La Vierge
• 1992: Esclarmonde, Grisélidis, La Terre Promise
• 1994: Panurge, Le Cid
• 1996: Thaïs
• 1999: Le Roi de Lahore
• 2001: Roma
• 2003: Sapho
• 2005: Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame
• 2007: Ariane
• 2009: Manon (version with sung recitatives)
• 2012: Le Mage (centenary of Massenet's death)
• 2015: Le Marchand de Venise by Reynaldo Hahn

Each edition was accompanied by symphonic concerts, melody recitals, musicological conferences organized with the Université Jean Monnet (under the direction of Jean-Christophe Branger and Alban Ramaut), and discographic recordings. In total, several dozens of lyrical performances and as many concerts and recitals were given across all these editions.

A living legacy after the Biennial's discontinuation

After the biennial format was discontinued, the Saint-Étienne Opera continued to champion Massenet's work in its regular seasons. In November 2018, a new production of Hérodiade was presented under the direction of Jean-Louis Pichon. In November 2024, the opera Thaïs opened the 2024-2025 season in a new staging by Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau, perpetuating the Saint-Étienne institution's commitment to its emblematic composer. However, the Biennale Massenet as a dedicated festival is no longer part of the programming.

The Grand Théâtre Massenet

The Grand Théâtre Massenet, inaugurated in 1969, is the main hall of the Saint-Étienne Opera. Located in the heart of the Jardin des Plantes, it bears the name of the Stéphanois composer and hosts the institution's lyrical, symphonic, and choreographic productions. All editions of the Biennale Massenet were held in this theater.