 | French opera had its moments... and this was definitely one of them. One of the most haunting, beautiful instrumental pieces in all of classical music is at the end of the first act of Thais... the "Meditation."
(Incidentally, James Galway's CD Meditations has a beautiful rendition of this Massenet piece.)
The plot of the opera is simple: a monk sets out to "save" a courtesan's soul, and in the process discovers (by falling in love with her) that a more important force than religious fervor exists - the power of love. Unfortunately for him, his efforts bore fruit, and at the moment when he is finally admitting his love for Thais, she is dedicating her soul to the christian god (and, as appropriate to the genre, dying).
The CD is a moving story of the basics... unrequited love, man's conflict with religion, and man suffering the negativity of his fellows as he pursues his goals.
|
