Grisélidis

Inspired by a twelfth-century legend, adapted in 1891 for the Comédie-Française by Armand Silvestre and Eugène Morand, Grisélidis tells the story of Grisélidis, the loyal wife of the Marquis de Saluce, who has gone off to wage war in the Holy Land. Although the Devil puts her loyalty to the test, causing her former lover, Alain, to appear to her, the virtuous wife does not yield to temptation, drawing strength from her role as a devoted mother. Massenet’s opera, written for the Opéra-Comique in Paris, was completed in 1894 but, since he was busy working on Cendrillon and Sapho at that time, it did not reach the stage until 1901. However, audiences were rewarded for their long wait with a splendid performance, ingeniously staged by Albert Carré. The composer deftly handles the juxtaposition of religious, lyrical and comic registers.