The Symbolism of the Instrumental Voice: The Role of the Violin Solo in French Opera from Gounod to Massenet

Abstract

This article investigates the expressive and symbolic function of violin solos in French opera from the second half of the 19th century to the early 20th century, through the analysis of representative works by Charles Gounod, Georges Bizet, and Jules Massenet. At the core of the study are orchestral moments in which the violin transcends its role as mere accompaniment and becomes an extension of the human voice, embodying emotion, consciousness, or spiritual transcendence. The analyzed examples — Faust, Carmen, Les pêcheurs de perles, Manon, Werther, and Thaïs — highlight three distinct expressive directions: Gounod’s spiritualized lyricism, Bizet’s sensual realism, and Massenet’s mystical introspection. The article offers a comparative reading of the ways in which the violin emerges as an implicit character in the drama, a voice of interiority, contributing to the definition of the French orchestral style and to the strengthening of the relationship between instrumental timbre and vocal expression.