His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, Massenet's style went out of fashion, and many of his operas fell into almost total oblivion. Apart from Manon and Werther, his works were rarely performed. However, since the mid-1970s, many operas of his such as Thaïs and Esclarmonde have undergone periodic revivals.
Massenet's operas shared the opera vogue of nineteenth century France with Wagner's, their direct opposite. Massenet's twenty-five were of the Meyerbeer-Offenbach type, that is, light and popular, rather than "grand". Some of them helped to ensure the success of Oscar Hammerstein's opera experiment in New York. Manon is a typical Massenet opera. Its immediate appeal is strong, thanks to its extremely singable melodies.
Massenet wrote operas with one eye on the prima donna who was to sing them. This habit was not discouraged by his wife, who knew that prima donnas were his bread and butter. She encouraged him to send them operas rather than pearl necklaces.
He studied under Ambroise Thomas at the Conservatoire, and traveled his full three years as a Prix de Rome winner, making the acquaintance of the ubiquitous Liszt while in Rome. He returned to Paris in time to shoulder a gun during the siege of 1870 in the Franco-Prussian War. He then settled down to teaching counterpoint at the Conservatoire, writing operas, and enjoying the footlight existence of the opera composer. His personal charm and the style of the particular kind of operas he wrote, at the particular time he wrote them, brought him wide popularity. When he died in his apartment in Paris, there were many more than the bereft prima donnas to mourn his loss.
Méditation from Thaïs
Jules Massenet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Newman Levy)
One time in Alexandria, in wicked Alexandria
Where nights were wild with revelry and life was but a game,
There lived, so the report is, an adventuress and courtesan
The pride of Alexandria, and Thais was her name.
(Break: Naughty Lady of Shady Lane)
Nearby, in peace and piety, avoiding all society
There dwelt a band of holy men who'd made their refuge there,
And in the desert's solitude, they spurned all earthly folly to
Devote their lives to holy works, to fasting and to prayer.
(Break: Break, oh Mighty Fortress)
Now one monk whom I solely mention of this band of holy men
Was known as Athaneal, he was famous near and far.
At fasting bouts and prayer, with him, none other could compare
with him,
At plain and fancy praying he could do the course in par.
(Break: God of our Fathers)
One day while sleeping heavily, from wresting with the Devil he
Had gone to bed exhausted, though the sun was shining still
He had a vision Freudian, and though he was annoyed, he an-
Alyzed it in the well-known style of Doctors Jung and Brill.
(Break: Dr. Freud)
He dreamed of Alexandria, of wicked Alexandria.
A crowd of men was cheering in a manner rather rude.
And Athaneal glancing there at THAIS, who was dancing there
Observed her do the shimmy, in what artists call The Nude!
(Break: Samson and Delilah)
Said he,"This dream fantastical disturbs my thoughts monastical,
Some unsuppressed desire, I fear, has found my monkish cell.
I blushed up to the hat o' me to view that girl's anatomy
I'll go to Alexandria and save her soul from Hell!"
(Break: Onward Christian Soldiers)
So, pausing not to wonder where he'd put his winter underwear
He quickly packed his evening clothes, a toothbrush and a vest
To guard against exposure he threw in some woolen hosiery
And bidding all the boys Adieu, he started on his quest.
(Break: Happy Wanderer)
The monk, though warned and fortified was deeply shocked and
mortified,
To find, on his arrival, wild debauchery in sway.
While some were in a stupor, sent by booze of more than two
percent,
The rest were all behaving in a most immoral way.
(Break: Passengers Will Please Refrain)
Said he to Thais, "Pardon me. Although this job is hard on me,
I've got to put you straight to what I came out hear to tell:
What's all this boozin' gettin' you? Cut out this pie-eyed
retinue,
Let's hit the road together, kid, and save you soul from Hell!"
(Break: Onward Christian Soldiers)
Although this bold admonishment caused Thais some astonishment,
She quickly answered,"Say! You said a heaping mouthful, Bo!
This burg's a frost, I'm telling you. The brand of hooch they're
selling you
Ain't like the stuff you used to get, so let's pack up and go!"
(Break: Blowing in the Wind)
So off from Alexandria, from wicked Alexandria
Across the desert sands they go, beneath the burning sun.
Till Thais, parched and sweltering, finds refuge in the
sheltering
Seclusion of a convent in the habit of a nun.
(Break: Dominique)
And now the monk is terrified to find his fears are verified
His holy vows of chastity have cracked beneath the strain!
Like one who has a jag on, he cries out in grief and agony
"I'd sell my soul to see her do the shimmy once again!"
(Break: Snake Dance)
Alas! His pleadings amorous, though passionate and clamorous
Have come too late. The courtesan has danced her final dance.
Said he,"Now that's a joke on me, for that there dame to croak on
me,
I never should have passed her up the time I had a chance!"
NOTE: Breaks are instrumental breaks as performed by Nick
Krukovsky.
@ballad @religion @drink
filename[ THAISALX
RG
The lyrics of Jules Massenet's song Meditation from Thais, written by Newman Levy, tell a story of a monk named Athaneal who dreams of a courtesan named Thais performing a lascivious dance in Alexandria. The dream disturbs Athaneal and he decides to travel to Alexandria to save her soul from Hell. When he arrives, Athaneal witnesses the wild debauchery of the city and confronts Thais about her immoral behavior. She agrees to leave with him and together they travel across the desert until she finds refuge in a convent and takes the habit of a nun. However, Athaneal's desire for Thais has become too great and he realizes too late that he had missed his chance with her before she chose a life of piety.
The lyrics of Meditation from Thais can be interpreted in many ways, but one possible approach is to view it as a cautionary tale about the dangers of desire and the struggle between the spiritual and the earthly. Athaneal's dream could be seen as a symbol of his repressed desires, which he tries to overcome by embarking on a mission to save Thais. However, his journey ends up revealing the corrupt and sinful nature of the society he thought he could save her from, and ultimately he succumbs to his own desires, leading to a tragic ending.
Line by Line Meaning
One time in Alexandria, in wicked Alexandria
There was a time in Alexandria, a city known for its wild and sinful nights.
Where nights were wild with revelry and life was but a game
The nights in Alexandria were filled with partying and indulgence as if life was just a game.
There lived, so the report is, an adventuress and courtesan
According to rumors, there was a woman living in Alexandria who was an adventurer and a courtesan.
The pride of Alexandria, and Thais was her name
This woman, named Thais, was held in high regard in the city of Alexandria.
Nearby, in peace and piety, avoiding all society
Close to Alexandria, there were a group of holy men who lived a secluded life, avoiding any contact with society.
There dwelt a band of holy men who'd made their refuge there
This group of holy men had found refuge in the area close to Alexandria.
And in the desert's solitude, they spurned all earthly folly to
These holy men had rejected all earthly pleasures and were devoted to their ascetic lives in the desert.
Devote their lives to holy works, to fasting and to prayer
Their lives were dedicated to performing holy deeds, fasting, and praying.
Now one monk whom I solely mention of this band of holy men
Of all the holy men in this group, there was one monk who was particularly noteworthy.
Was known as Athaneal, he was famous near and far
This monk, named Athaneal, was famous in the area for his devotion to prayer and fasting.
At fasting bouts and prayer, with him, none other could compare
When it came to fasting and prayer, Athaneal was unmatched in his devotion and discipline.
At plain and fancy praying he could do the course in par
No matter what type of prayer it was, whether simple or complex, Athaneal could perform it perfectly.
One day while sleeping heavily, from wresting with the Devil he
Had gone to bed exhausted, though the sun was shining still
One day, after battling with the Devil, Athaneal went to bed exhausted even though the sun was still shining.
He had a vision Freudian, and though he was annoyed, he an-
Alyzed it in the well-known style of Doctors Jung and Brill
In his sleep, Athaneal had a Freudian vision that he found bothersome, but he analyzed it in the manner of psychologist Jung and Brill.
He dreamed of Alexandria, of wicked Alexandria
In his dream, Athaneal saw the sinful city of Alexandria.
A crowd of men was cheering in a manner rather rude
In his dream, Athaneal saw a group of men cheering in an inappropriate manner.
And Athaneal glancing there at THAIS, who was dancing there
Observed her do the shimmy, in what artists call The Nude!
In his dream, Athaneal watched Thais dance suggestively, performing a shimmy while wearing nothing in what artists call The Nude!
Said he,'This dream fantastical disturbs my thoughts monastical
Awakened by his dream, Athaneal was disturbed and felt it conflicted with his monastic beliefs.
Some unsuppressed desire, I fear, has found my monkish cell
Athaneal worried that his dream revealed an uncontrolled desire that had found a way into his monastic mind.
I blushed up to the hat o' me to view that girl's anatomy
Despite being a monk, Athaneal was embarrassed by his own desire upon viewing Thais' exposed body in his dream.
I'll go to Alexandria and save her soul from Hell!
In an effort to counteract his desire and help Thais, Athaneal decides to go to Alexandria to save her soul.
So, pausing not to wonder where he'd put his winter underwear
He quickly packed his evening clothes, a toothbrush and a vest
Athaneal, without taking time to consider his physical needs, packed quickly, grabbing only his evening clothes, a toothbrush, and a vest.
To guard against exposure he threw in some woolen hosiery
And bidding all the boys Adieu, he started on his quest
He also grabbed some woolen hosiery to stay warm and prepared to leave, saying goodbye to the other holy men before starting his journey.
The monk, though warned and fortified was deeply shocked and mortified,
To find, on his arrival, wild debauchery in sway
Despite being warned about the sinful nature of Alexandria, Athaneal was still deeply shocked and outraged to find such wild debauchery when he arrived.
While some were in a stupor, sent by booze of more than two percent,
The rest were all behaving in a most immoral way
Some people were visibly drunk, while others were engaging in immoral behavior without any restraint or guilt.
Said he to Thais, 'Pardon me. Although this job is hard on me,
I've got to put you straight to what I came out hear to tell:
Athaneal approaches Thais and apologizes for the difficult position he's in as he tries to fulfill the purpose of his trip.
What's all this boozin' gettin' you? Cut out this pie-eyed retinue,
Let's hit the road together, kid, and save you soul from Hell!
Athaneal admonishes Thais and asks her to abandon her drunken lifestyle so that they can go together and save her soul from Hell.
Although this bold admonishment caused Thais some astonishment,
She quickly answered,'Say! You said a heaping mouthful, Bo!
Although Thais was taken aback by Athaneal's bold words, she quickly agreed with him, acknowledging the truth in what he had said.
This burg's a frost, I'm telling you. The brand of hooch they're
selling you
Ain't like the stuff you used to get, so let's pack up and go!
Thais agrees that the city is terrible and the quality of the alcohol is poor, and suggests that they should leave immediately.
So off from Alexandria, from wicked Alexandria
Across the desert sands they go, beneath the burning sun.
Athaneal and Thais leave Alexandria behind and travel across the desert.
Till Thais, parched and sweltering, finds refuge in the
sheltering
Seclusion of a convent in the habit of a nun
Thais, exhausted and overheated, finds solace and shelter from the elements in a convent where she dons the habit of a nun.
And now the monk is terrified to find his fears are verified
His holy vows of chastity have cracked beneath the strain!
Athaneal is horrified to realize that his fear of sin and temptation has come to fruition, and he has failed in his holy vow of chastity.
Like one who has a jag on, he cries out in grief and agony
'I'd sell my soul to see her do the shimmy once again!'
Athaneal is overcome with grief and even considers selling his soul just to see Thais perform the suggestive shimmy again.
Alas! His pleadings amorous, though passionate and clamorous
Have come too late. The courtesan has danced her final dance.
Athaneal's attempts to save Thais from a life of sin have failed, as she has already performed her final suggestive dance.
Said he,'Now that's a joke on me, for that there dame to croak on
me,
I never should have passed her up the time I had a chance!'
Athaneal laments on the irony of his situation, realizing that he had missed out on his chance with Thais in the past and is now filled with regret.
Contributed by Caden R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pnojazz
Bio -
Rusanda Panfili was born 1988 in Chisinau, Moldova. She started
her violin studies in Bucharest, and the age of 11 she became one
of the youngest students at the Conservatory of Music and Arts in
Vienna, Austria.
She won her first international competition in Italy at the age of 10
and with the wonderful guidance from her teacher, well known
Russian violinist, Alexander Arenkow, Rusanda earned other
numerous national and international prizes such as “Rodolfo
Lipizer” and “Luis Spohr”, as well the “Herbert von Karajan” and
“Yamaha” scholarships.
In November, 2015, Rusanda finished her “Master of Arts” studies
at the University of Music and Arts Vienna.
@ellenmunger6447
This beautiful piece was often played by my father who was a violin player, He played this at all three of our( daughters) weddings. I surprised my dad and played it for mom and dads 50th wedding anniversary on my flute. Now that dad is gone, when I do play it or just hear others playing it, I cry alot. It is sooo beautiful!
@DGStudio
And now, me :)
@manlungl
Such beautiful legacy.
@bigdaddyjoe26
I agree
like if u agree
@beebo5256
So inspiring to hear this from a fellow musician ❤️I'm a 13 year old violinist playing this, you passion is beautiful
@BambangHariyanto
https://youtu.be/cy7JVx3QkZs
@hanrolavh4546
When I was a boy in a small Asian country, at age 10 years, this piece of music was featured at the end of a radio drama series. I did not know the name of this piece. But I liked it so much I would listen until the very end every night. Now, at age 65, I finally know the name of the composition. Brings back lots of nostalgic moments.
@lbminh
That's amazing!!!
@MrDaiseymay
I am now 81, and I too have many such musical memories, of listening to the BBC radio in the 1950's onwards, when such music had it's own slot on certain stations, and a huge following.
@EricLeePiano
one of the most satisfying moments in life is finally finding the name of a favorite piece of music :)