Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912) was the most prominent French composer of the late nineteenth century.Thais, based upon the novel by Anatole France, combines passion and religion. Set in Coptic Egypt. The opera was groundbreaking in its departure from metric rhyme in the text.
The Meditation is the entracte between acts 2 and 3 represents the spiritual
awakening of Thais.
More people are familiar with the “Meditation” from Thais than with the opera itself. It is a shame, because the story is an engaging one. Simply told, the opera’s plot traces the life journeys together of two unlikely characters – Thais’s from a courtesan to a saint, and Athanaël’s from a pious monk to a love-obsessed lunatic. Along the way, the two meet with worldly temptations and spiritual quests set to Massenet’s supremely lyrical, often intoxicating, music.
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