Thaïs

Livret Louis Gallet — based on the eponymous novel by Anatole France En 1894, Massenet takes hold of the novel by Anatole France to make it a sensual and mystical opera. Thaïs crystallizes all the ambiguities of the late 19th century: the desire for spirituality rubs shoulders with a fascination for carnal pleasures, the fantasized East dialogues with Christian asceticism. The work achieved immediate success, carried by the famous "Meditation", a violin interlude accompanying the conversion of Thaïs. Massenet offers Thaïs a role of remarkable vocal richness, oscillating between virtuoso vocalizes and melodic lines of great simplicity. The character of Athanaël, meanwhile, undergoes an inner transformation that the score translates with rare psychological finesse. From the monk's certainty to the downfall of the man possessed by desire, Massenet probes the depths of the human soul.