 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: brian
Date: 2000-04-22 23:23
I have been working on a lovely arrangement of Jules Massenet's "Meditation" that I am going to play in church. Other than the fact that the piece is from Massenet's opera "Thaiss" (sp?) I know nothing about it, or about Massenet for that matter. I'd like to be able to share something if people ask me about it. Can any of you music afficianados help? Thanks.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-04-23 00:03
First performance - Paris Opera March 16, 1894
Music - Juels Massenet
Libretto - Louis Gallet
Based on novel by Anatole France
Thais - a beautiful courtesan
Athanael - a Cenobite (religious order)
He tries to save her from sin but is unsuccessful. She attempts to seduce him but he rejects her. Eventually he succeeds in convincing her to go to a convent and he returns to the Cenobite retreat. He can't forget her but resists temptation. He dreams she is dying and goes to her. She thanks him and he tells her that he loves her but she doesn't hear him as she dies thinking of heaven and forgiveness.
I don't know where the "Meditation" occurs as I've never seen the opera. The above info is condensed from the intro on this piece in "101 Opera Librettos."
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-04-23 19:11
Most of us are familiar with the beautiful "Meditation", I am not with the opera itself, however. Milton Cross' book says it occurs after Scene 1 Act 2, "The music symbolizes the spiritual regeneration of Thais". A brief look at the story, as Dee and the book describes it, the subject matter is quite religiously complex. Most libraries will have several "stories of the operas". Play it well! Don
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Author: beejay
Date: 2000-04-24 13:18
The following is from www.karadar.com, a wonderful Italian site with details of composers, opera libretti, the original words to hundreds of lieder and lots of MP3 and midi files.
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The leading operatic composer of his generation in France, Jules Massenet studied at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the Prix de Rome in 1863.
In Paris once more, after his obligatory three years stay at the Villa Medici in Rome, he achieved initial success with his operas Don César de Bazan and Marie-Madeleine, the latter heroine, a repentant female sinner, exercising a particular interest and influence on Massenet's future work.
He maintained a dominant position in French opera at least until the appearance of Debussy 's Pelléas et Mélisande, an innovative work that nevertheless shows something of the influence of Massenet.
Of some three dozen stage works, Massenet's opera Manon is perhaps the best known, a version of the novel by the Abbé Prévost also used by Puccini.
The opera Werther is based on Goethe's Sorrows of the Young Werther, while Thaïs is known by name to many because of the famous violin solo, Méditation.
The opera Le Cid, based on the play by Corneille on the subject of the historical Spanish hero and first staged in Paris in 1885, has a spectacular second act ballet-fiesta, which forms part of a subsequent orchestral suite.
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Author: brian
Date: 2000-04-24 17:13
Thanks all for your response. "Meditation" went very well on Sunday. I played it as a prelude piece at all three services and folks were genuinely appreciative. I even held it together when a toddler intrigued by the glowing light switch pushed it and and turned the lights off for about fifteen seconds. Thank God it was a sunny day and the windows cleaned.
brian
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Author: beejay
Date: 2000-04-24 17:14
The following is from www.karadar.com, a wonderful Italian classic music site with biographies, opera libretti, the words of hundreds of lieder, mp3 and midi files, catalogues and much more.
*****
The leading operatic composer of his generation in France, Jules Massenet studied at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the Prix de Rome in 1863.
In Paris once more, after his obligatory three years stay at the Villa Medici in Rome, he achieved initial success with his operas Don César de Bazan and Marie-Madeleine, the latter heroine, a repentant female sinner, exercising a particular interest and influence on Massenet's future work.
He maintained a dominant position in French opera at least until the appearance of Debussy 's Pelléas et Mélisande, an innovative work that nevertheless shows something of the influence of Massenet.
Works
Of some three dozen stage works, Massenet's opera Manon is perhaps the best known, a version of the novel by the Abbé Prévost also used by Puccini.
The opera Werther is based on Goethe's Sorrows of the Young Werther, while Thaïs is known by name to many because of the famous violin solo, Méditation.
The opera Le Cid, based on the play by Corneille on the subject of the historical Spanish hero and first staged in Paris in 1885, has a spectacular second act ballet-fiesta, which forms part of a subsequent orchestral suite.
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