Page "Opera" Paragraph 29

In the second half of the 19th century, Jacques Offenbach created operetta with witty and cynical works such as Orphée aux enfers, as well as the opera Les Contes d ' Hoffmann ; Charles Gounod scored a massive success with Faust ; and Bizet composed Carmen, which, once audiences learned to accept its blend of Romanticism and realism, became the most popular of all opéra comiques.

Massenet, Saint-Saëns and Delibes all composed works which are still part of the standard repertory.

At the same time, the influence of Richard Wagner was felt as a challenge to the French tradition.

Many French critics angrily rejected Wagner's music dramas while many French composers closely imitated them with variable success.

Perhaps the most interesting response came from Claude Debussy.

As in Wagner's works, the orchestra plays a leading role in Debussy's unique opera Pelléas et Mélisande ( 1902 ) and there are no real arias, only recitative.

But the drama is understated, enigmatic and completely unWagnerian.