Massenet, Jules: Méditation from Thais
(Pf)
The story tells of the conversion to Christianity of the courtesan Thais by the holy man Athanael, and his parallel but opposite conversion to a life dominated by lust for her. The 'Méditation' for solo violin and orchestra, joining the two scenes of Act II, describes the beginning of Thais's conversion.
The work was not received well initially, by 1897, when Sanderson retired, it had reached only its fourteenth performance. But the 'Méditation' was an instant success with violinists, and its religious association also encouraged church organists to play it at Mass during the Communion. Even Pope Pius X's motu proprio of 1903, specifically demanding tha t the music heard in church should 'not include reminiscences of those employed in the opera house', could not prevail against it.
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