Ballet Suites

Most mid-19th century French operas included ballets, which often served as light intermezzos amid the fevered action (both dramatic and musical) occurring in the opera itself. Massenet was particularly adept in the genre, leaving behind ballet suites that rival the operas themselves in popularity. The Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields here presents the delightful suites from Le Cid, Thaïs, and Cendrillon, complete with the colorful orchestration that recalls the grandeur of 19th-century Parisian opera.