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in an opera setting, or by a featured soloist standing in front of the orchestra in a concert setting. The SATB chorus is indicated by
Massenet to be sung by the entire chorus from behind the curtain in an opera setting, and by four to eight soloists seated among the orchestra in a concert setting.
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signifying his intention that it should be played religiously (which could mean either strictly in the tempo or literally with religiously-founded emotion) and at walking tempo, or around 60 BPM. The piece opens with a short introduction by the harps, with the solo violin quickly entering with the
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commented that the "solo is almost invariably made far more sickly than it need be or should be", continuing "What concern of is dramatic psychology ?", and that the piece sometimes becomes "not merely saccharine but maudlin". He noted that the themes have already been heard;
540:‘Après tout, ce n’est pas sa faute si la fameuse “méditation” est entrée dans l’“ordinaire” de la messe de mariage.’ Quoted in: Lessmann, Benedikt. (2020). Appropriations of Gregorian Chant in Fin-de-siècle French Opera: Couleur locale – Message-Opera – Allusion?
210:-like passage from the soloist and returns to the main theme. After the theme is played twice, the soloist joins the orchestra while playing harmonics on the upper register as the harps and strings quietly play below the solo line.
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quoted the opening bars of the melody in a 1925 recording of 'Milenburg Joys' with the
Varsity Eight, although he did play it in the key of D-flat major, a semitone lower than the original composition.
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167:, and attempts to persuade her to leave her life of luxury and pleasure and find salvation through God. It is during a time of reflection following the encounter that the
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According to the Centre for the
History and Analysis of Recorded Music (CHARM) database, several recordings were made during the composer's lifetime, including ones by
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has been transcribed for violin and piano and for other instruments as well. Massenet made an arrangement of the Méditation for voice and keyboard in 1894 as an
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The piece is in D major and is approximately five to six minutes long. Massenet may also have written the piece with religious intentions; the tempo marking is
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is considered to be one of the great encore pieces; many violinists have performed the piece as soloists with major orchestras throughout the world. The
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Orledge, Robert. In search of a pure line. Essay in booklet accompanying Opus Arte DVD OA1064 D: The Royal Ballet in
Frederick Ashton, 2011.
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The piece calls for solo violin, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, 2 horns,
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noted had even been introduced into marriage services. Examples of other arrangements include a version for cello and piano by
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have recorded separate versions on their respective instruments, each with orchestral accompaniment.
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identifies that the music "derives both from Athanaël's erotic visions and part of his hymn".
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chorus, two harps and strings. The solo violin part is generally played by the orchestra's
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Other arrangements have also been made, such as the variation for the violin and piano.
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motif. After the violin plays the melody twice, the piece goes into a section marked
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from the Méditation. Premiered on 21 March 1971, the piece was first danced by
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Search for
Meditation from Thaïs (1971) in the Royal Opera House Collections
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monk, confronts Thaïs, a beautiful and hedonistic courtesan and devotée of
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joins in for the last reprise. In the first scene of Act II, Athanaël, a
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665:"Méditation (Thaïs): Live "Concert Performance" on Violin - Videoclip"
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considered it one of Ashton's three masterpieces (along with
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Centre for the
History and Analysis of Recorded Music,<
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occurs. In the second scene of Act II, following the
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Five Brahms
Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan
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performed between the scenes of Act II in the opera
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531:, ed Sadie, Vol 4. Macmillan, London, 1997, 708.
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615:"Thaïs: An Opera by Jules Massenet"
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134:Problems playing these files? See
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525:Milnes, Rodney. Thaïs. In :
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249:, which a contemporary critic
108:"Méditation" performed in 1919
82:"Méditation" performed in 2018
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686:, Dance Books, London, 1999.
475:Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
101:; pianist: Pallavi Mahidhara
60:in Paris on March 16, 1894.
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1307:Symphonic Variations
1253:A Tragedy of Fashion
1121:Cercle Funambulesque
868:Le portrait de Manon
766:List of compositions
632:. Metropolitan Opera
315:Symphonic Variations
235:The Méditation from
39:[meditasjɔ̃]
1580:(1917, silent U.S.)
1343:Homage to the Queen
1233:La fille mal gardée
1050:L'histoire de Manon
630:"Synopsis of Thaïs"
408:Deutsche Grammophon
404:Vienna Philharmonic
329:Selected recordings
321:La fille mal gardée
288:created a balletic
52:by French composer
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1297:
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1251:
1222:
1214:
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1198:
1136:
1103:
1102:
1086:Les Érinnyes
1084:
1048:
1040:
1021:
1013:
1005:
997:
978:
970:
962:
954:
946:
938:
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673:. Retrieved
653:. Retrieved
634:. Retrieved
619:. Retrieved
584:
572:
563:
541:
536:
526:
521:
513:
504:
432:John Lenehan
414:James Galway
394:RCA Red Seal
369:EMI Classics
332:
319:
313:
283:
280:Choreography
259:James Galway
244:
240:
236:
234:
217:
203:
199:
195:
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177:
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168:
150:
144:
142:
124:Mischa Elman
48:
31:"Méditation"
30:
29:
1624:Chitralekha
1192:Full-length
1178:Ballets by
1096:Other works
836:Esclarmonde
671:(violinist)
651:(violinist)
508:Quoted in:
471:Joshua Bell
449:Sarah Chang
428:Linda Brava
361:Ivry Gitlis
304:and at the
290:pas de deux
122:Violinist:
99:Bomsori Kim
97:Violinist:
64:Description
1640:Categories
1604:Méditation
1553:Characters
1378:Persephone
1200:Cinderella
1104:Méditation
900:Grisélidis
892:Cendrillon
675:2015-06-26
655:2009-08-19
636:2009-02-12
621:2009-02-12
496:References
241:Méditation
173:Méditation
169:Méditation
136:media help
44:intermezzo
35:pronounced
1401:The Dream
1291:Horoscope
1015:La Vierge
991:Oratorios
972:Cléopâtre
812:Hérodiade
514:Massenet.
246:Ave Maria
146:entr'acte
1471:Rhapsody
1370:La valse
1325:Tiresias
1138:Category
1061:Concerto
916:Chérubin
593:Archived
460:Yo-Yo Ma
161:Cenobite
1599:(1894)
1352:La Peri
1245:Shorter
1034:Ballets
964:Panurge
940:Bacchus
932:Thérèse
852:Werther
844:Le Mage
607:Sources
491:– Decca
483:2009 –
469:2004 –
458:2003 –
447:2002 –
437:2001 –
426:1999 –
412:1996 –
398:1993 –
384:1993 -
373:1988 –
359:1985 –
345:1960 –
208:cadenza
196:animato
1588:Operas
1490:(1985)
1484:(1982)
1474:(1980)
1466:(1977)
1458:(1976)
1450:(1976)
1442:(1971)
1436:(1970)
1428:(1968)
1420:(1968)
1412:(1965)
1404:(1964)
1396:(1963)
1388:(1961)
1380:(1961)
1374:(1958)
1364:(1956)
1356:(1956)
1346:(1953)
1338:(1951)
1328:(1951)
1320:(1948)
1310:(1946)
1302:(1940)
1294:(1938)
1286:(1937)
1276:(1933)
1266:(1931)
1262:Façade
1256:(1926)
1237:(1960)
1227:(1958)
1224:Ondine
1219:(1955)
1211:(1952)
1208:Sylvia
1203:(1948)
1070:(1902)
1045:(1904)
1042:Cigale
1026:(1900)
1018:(1880)
1010:(1875)
1002:(1873)
983:(1922)
980:Amadis
975:(1914)
967:(1913)
959:(1912)
951:(1910)
943:(1909)
935:(1907)
927:(1906)
924:Ariane
919:(1905)
911:(1902)
903:(1901)
895:(1899)
887:(1897)
879:(1894)
871:(1894)
863:(1894)
855:(1892)
847:(1891)
839:(1889)
831:(1885)
828:Le Cid
823:(1884)
815:(1881)
807:(1877)
799:(1872)
791:(1867)
780:Operas
720:format
157:chorus
1596:Thaïs
1577:Thaïs
1569:Films
1560:Thaïs
1541:Thaïs
884:Sapho
860:Thaïs
820:Manon
479:Decca
466:– EMI
455:– EMI
237:Thaïs
165:Venus
152:Thaïs
49:Thaïs
25:Nadar
956:Roma
318:and
296:and
267:Jazz
220:SATB
1544:by
1181:Sir
1007:Ève
718:MP3
716:in
443:EMI
422:RCA
300:of
1642::
667:.
647:.
551:^
512:.
487:–
477:–
473:–
462:,
451:–
430:–
420:–
416:–
406:–
402:–
392:-
388:-
377:–
367:–
363:–
353:–
349:–
1606:"
1602:"
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1171:e
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678:.
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624:.
323:)
138:.
33:(
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