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.[4] Massenet's entry came second to that of Eugène Diaz.[4]
References
Bibliography
Boris, Rolland (April–June 1958). "Leconte de Lisle et les musiciens". Revue d'Histoire littéraire de la France (in French). 58 (2). Presses Universitaires de France: 215–222. JSTOR40521727.
Corbier, Christophe (2010). "Le Beau idéal incarné : Leconte de Lisle et la musique grecque". Romantisme (in French). 150 (4): 129. doi:10.3917/rom.150.0129. ISSN0048-8593.
