Mudretskaya L. Genre-style search in the opera works by Jules Massenet (with specific reference to the operas "Manon" and "Werther")

The dissertation shows the leading French composer of the late XIX - early XX century - Jules Massenet as an outstanding figure of classical French opera school of the second half of the XIX century. This is quite a new outlook on Massenet's personality and his opera heritage contrasting with the wide-spread opinion of him as a minor composer. Characterization of Massenet's opera works and their divi-sion into periods helps follow the dynamics of genre evolution and define the historical role and signifi-cance of Massenet's music theater. In the dissertation studied is Massenet's creative evolution and biog-raphy, shown up is the meaning of genre-style search in his works. With reference to the analysis of "Ma-non" and "Werther" exposed are the peculiarities of style and dramatic composition in these operas lead-ing to expand the stable genre boundaries in French opera tradition.