The title role of Esclarmonde was written for soprano Sibyl Sanderson, who was one of the singing marvels of her age and famed for her physical beauty as well as for her vocal power, agility, and range. Massenet, who was one of the many musical figures to become infatuated with her, wrote an opera so dependent upon her remarkable gifts that it has been revived only a few times, first in the 1920s as a vehicle for Fanny Heldy and later in the 1970s for Joan Sutherland. (He also wrote Thais for her, a role that while still demanding, does not call for nearly superhuman singing.)

Both the Byzantine setting and the lush, "orientalist" music call for a lavish stage setting, and the orchestration ranges from heavy brass and organ that portray the pomp and majesty of the Byzantine Empire to erotically delicate woods and strings in the love scenes. The vocal writing is often imaginative, and the vibrant character of the title role is fully revealed as music suiting her different aspects as siren, priestess, and lover. Unlike most of his middle period (roughly between Herodiade and Cherubin) works, there are relatively few "excerptable" arias, though there are extended solo passages and duets; this, some use of repeating themes, and the use of medieval plot devices have often led to comparisons to Wagner, but the resemblances end there, as the work is decidedly more French grand opera than Wagnerian.

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