Whether Massenet will always remain popular is a question. His operas are engaging and clever, and he knew how to write theatre music to please the public. The most important of his operas (about fifteen), are _Manon_ and _Le Jongleur de Notre Dame_. The title parts of both were sung by the brilliant Mary Garden, in this country. (See Chapter VIII.) _Manon_ ranks second to the _Jongleur_. You know, too, the Meditation from _Thäis_, another of his popular successes. It was written for Sybil Sanderson, an American singer, in Paris. Massenet’s operas did not show his tremendous knowledge of counterpoint, of which he was professor at the Conservatory. His position was later filled by André Gédalge who has taught most of the composers of today. Gédalge is also the composer of some very fine symphonies, sonatas and an extraordinary _Treatise on the Fugue_. Other writers of this period are Xavier Leroux (1863–1919), Gabriel Pierné, born the same year, composer of a delightful oratorio, _Children’s Crusade_. He is now conductor of the Colonne Orchestra in Paris. André Messager, born ten years before these two is the composer of some very charming light operas of which _Veronique_ is the best known. There are also the great organists Charles Marie Widor (1845) with ten organ symphonies and many other works, and Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911), a great organist who came to America while one of the writers of this book (Ethel Peyser) was at Vassar College, where he inaugurated the new organ. FOLLOWERS OF CÉSAR FRANCK Although César Franck was not a successful opera writer, he influenced composers by showing how to combine modern harmony successfully with the classic form. Among the many César Franck’s revival of the classic style influenced are Gabriel Pierné, Henri Duparc (1848), and Ernest Chausson (1855–1899), Franck’s pupils. Chausson was first known through _Helen_, a three-act opera and _Le Roi Arthus_, which show what he might have accomplished had not an accident caused his death. Besides the operas he wrote beautiful chamber music, orchestral works and songs. His _Poem_ for violin is full of gentle, yet deep feeling. All his work has veiled mystery and is very lovely. The most important pupil of César Franck is Vincent d’Indy (1851), one of the most important figures in France. He founded, with Charles Bordes and Guilmant, the organist, the _Schola Cantorum_, and revived interest in sacred music. He has been in this country and is admired for his symphonic works, his operas _Fervaal_ and _L’Étranger_ (_The Stranger_), piano pieces and chamber music. One of his symphonic poems, _Istar_, was made into a ballet for Mme. Ida Rubenstein and was performed for the first time at the Grand Opera in Paris, in 1924.