Jules Massenet: Méditation from Thaïs for Piano Solo

Jules Massenet (1842–1912) was a French composer who composed many forms of music, but whose enduring fame rests with his operas. One of those operas is called "Thaïs" and it is based on a story set in ancient Egypt under Roman rule, where Thaïs is a courtesan who becomes a saint. The opera features an instrumental movement called "Méditation" which ironically has become one of the composer's best known pieces. It is during this meditation that Thais decides to change her religious outlook and convert. Although written as part of the opera, "Méditation" has become a concert piece frequently played and recorded on its own. The original version of Meditation was for solo violin and orchestra, though the work is frequently heard in a slimmed-down version for Violin and Piano. The arrangement presented here has been adapted for Solo Piano and you can download the piano sheet music using the link in the left-hand menu, while a video and various audio options and downloads are shown below. (Other arrangements of Meditation on mfiles include Cello and Piano and the original Violin and Piano.)