Massenet's 'Meditation'

Synopsis

A new opera by Jules Massenet had its premiere at the Paris Opera on today’s date in 1894. Thaïs and was based on a rather spicy novel of the same name by the popular French author of the day, Anatole France.

The novel and the opera are based on an old seventh-century manuscript, which mentions a fabulously beautiful Egyptian courtesan named Thaïs who converted to Christianity and spent the rest of her life meditating in seclusion on matters spiritual. In Massenet’s opera, the conversion from strip-tease artiste to nun is depicted by an instrumental interlude, the famous Meditation from Thaïs, which has become a favorite showpiece for solo violinists.

To add a dash of the piquant to the tale, in both the novel by Anatole France and in the opera by Massenet, the young monk who diligently convinces Thaïs to change her wicked ways suddenly falls madly in love with her himself, and just as diligently tries to persuade her to add just one more name — his — to her list of satisfied customers.

As they used to say in ancient Egypt: “Ooh-la-la!”

Music Played in Today's Program

Jules Massenet (1842-1912): Meditation from Thaïs; Nigel Kennedy, violin; English Chamber Orchestra; EMI 57330

On This Day

Births

• 1937 - American composer David Del Tredici, in Cloverdale, California

Deaths

• 1736 - Italian composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, 26 (of consumption), in Pozzuoli

• 1881 - Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, 42, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Mar. 28)

• 1968 - Italian-born American composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, 62, in Los Angeles

• 1985 - American composer Roger Sessions, 88, in Princeton, New Jersey

Premieres

• 1735 - Handel: Organ Concertos Nos. 2-3 (Julian date: March 5)

• 1750 - Handel: oratorio Theodora, in London at the Covent Garden Theater. At the same event, the possible premiere of Handel’s Organ Concerto No. 5, as well (Gregorian date: March 27).

• 1751 - Handel: oratorio The Choice of Hercules in London at the Covent Garden Theater. At the same event, Handel’s Organ Concerto No. 3 premieres following Act II of a revival performance of Handel's cantata Alexander’s Feast on the same program (Gregorian date: March 27).

• 1833 - Bellini: opera Beatrice di Tenda in Venice at the Teatro la Fenice

• 1870 - Tchaikovsky: fantasy-overture Romeo and Juliet, in Moscow, with Nicolas Rubinstien conducting (Julian date: Mar. 4)

• 1871 - Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1, in Moscow, by members of the Russian Musical Society (Gregorian date: Mar. 28)

• 1879 - Dvorák: choral setting of Psalm No. 149, in Prague

• 1888 - American premiere of the revised version of Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 (Romantic), with New York Philharmonic-Society conducted by Anton Seidl. In the preface to a book on Bruckner, the elderly conductor Walter Damrosch claimed he conducted the American premiere of this symphony (his memory played him false: Damrosch led the first American performance of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3.

• 1894 - Massenet: opera Thaïs, at the Paris Opéra

• 1938 - Martinu: opera Julietta, in Prague at the National Theater

• 1942 - Martinu: Sinfonietta Giocosa, for piano and chamber orchestra, in New York City

• 2002 - Paul Schoenfield: Nocturne for solo cello, oboe and strings, by cellist Peter Howard, with oboist Kathryn Greenbank and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Gilbert Varga conducting