Meditation from the Opera “Thais” by Massenet

One of the world’s greatest encore pieces, the “Meditation” comes from the opera Thais, written by French composer Jules Massenet in 1893. Thais is based on a novel by the French author Anatole France, which tells of a fourth-century Egyptian courtesan called Thais, who was converted to Christianity by a hermit monk who lived in the desert, and eventually became a saint. The opera was a great success, and stayed in the repertory of the Paris Opera continuously until 1956. In the opera, the piece serves as a symphonic intermezzo in Act II. Although in its original form it is essentially a violin solo, it has been transcribed for almost every conceivable instrument, and is often played at flute recitals.