''Les Érinnyes'' (The Erinyes) is a

French language French ( or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-R ...

verse drama written by Leconte de Lisle and premièred at the Théâtre de l'Odéon in 1873. It is in the style of a Greek tragedy, in two acts: ''Klytaimnestra'' ( Clytemnestra) and ''Orestès'' ( Orestes). It was an adaptation of the first two parts of

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...

' '' Oresteia'' (''Agamemnon'' and ''Libation Bearers''). The text was printed in de Lisle's collection ''Poèmes Tragiques''.

Massenet's music

Félix-Henri Duquesnel produced a revival of the play in 1876 at the Théâtre du Gaité.. He commissioned his friend Jules Massenet to write an

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which ...

, intermezzo, and incidental music (respectively a ''Prélude'', ''Entr'acte'', and two ''Mélodrames''). The music (

Opus number In music, the opus number is the "work number" that is assigned to a musical composition, or to a set of compositions, to indicate the chronological order of the composer's publication of that work. Opus numbers are used to distinguish among ...

10) was conducted at the première by Édouard Colonne. It was an early boost to Massenet's career. He wrote in his memoirs: :Dusquesnel placed forty musicians at my disposal, which, under the circumstances, was a considerable expense and a great favor. Instead of writing a score for the regular orchestra—which would have produced only a paltry effect—I had the idea of having a quartet of thirty-six stringed instruments corresponding to a large orchestra. Then I added three trombones to represent the three Erinnyes: Tisiphone, Alecto and Megere, and a pair of kettle-drums. So I had my forty. The "Invocation'" accompanies Electra's pouring of libations on the tomb of Agamemnon in act 2. It was published separately as the '' Élégie for cello and orchestra'' (Op.10, no.5) as well as the song "O doux printemps d'autrefois" and still often performed and recorded. Massenet originally wrote it as part of a competition to score the opera ''La coupe du roi de Thulé'', with libretto by Louis Gallet and Édouard Blau. Massenet's entry came second to that of Eugène Diaz.

References

;Bibliography * * ;Citations

External links

Massenet's score
at IMSLP 1872 plays French plays 1876 compositions Compositions by Jules Massenet Tragedy plays Classical antiquity in modern art and culture Plays based on works by Aeschylus Works based on Agamemnon (Aeschylus play) Works based on The Libation Bearers {{classical-composition-stub