Jules Massenet

French-born Jules Massenet was a prolific composer from the late 1800s into the turn of the century. His compositions spanned from ballets to orchestral compositions to, most popularly, operas. Although he was one of France's most popular composers during his lifetime, his notoriety fell somewhat into decline after his death. However, some of his more popular pieces, such as Manon and Thais, have since gained popularity as pieces for production.