Jules Massenet

Méditation from Thaïs

For many listeners, the French composer Jules Massenet (1842-1912) is best known for the exquisite Méditation from his opera Thaïs (1894; revised 1898). While the opera itself is now performed only occasionally, the Méditation has taken on a life of its own and remains one of the most beloved works in the violin repertoire. It has long been a favourite encore piece, not only for violinists but for many other instrumentalists, and has inspired numerous arrangements.

This arrangement for solo violin, harp and string orchestra is based closely on Massenet's original orchestration for large orchestra, which includes two harps and a mixed chorus. Aware of the popularity of the Méditation as a self-contained concert piece, Massenet specified that, in an operatic performance, the chorus should sing from behind the curtain, while in the concert hall it could be performed by four to eight singers seated amongst the orchestra. Owing to the wide variety of arrangements available today, this original instruction is now rarely observed.

In the spring of 2019, the Lahti Conservatory—where I studied between August 2016 and May 2018—commissioned me to prepare arrangements for harp and string orchestra of Pietro Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana and Massenet's Méditation from Thaïs. The world première performances took place on 12 February 2020 in the Felix Krohn Hall of the Lahti Concert Hall, given by the Conservatory's flagship ensemble, the New Lahti Chamber Orchestra. Mascagni's Intermezzo was conducted by Juhani Palola, while Massenet's Méditation was conducted by Janne Saarinen, with Juliana Pöyry as the violin soloist.

Cover Design features the original poster for Thaïs, designed by Manuel Orazi in 1894.