Following acclaimed performances at the Edinburgh Festival and then in Melbourne, Sir Andrew Davis's recording of Massenet's opera Thaïs features an outstanding cast, and exceptional performances from his Toronto forces. Written shortly after the premiere of his masterpiece Werther, Thaïs was composed for the Californian soprano Sybil Sanderson who gave the premiere at the Paris Opéra in 1894. Sanderson's performance was a triumph, but the opera itself had a mixed reception. After Massenet revised it in 1898 it went on to worldwide success in the years leading up to World War I and has enjoyed continuous and growing success in our own time. The role of Thaïs has drawn many great artists, including Mary Garden, Geraldine Farrar, Maria Jeritza, Leontyne Price, Beverley Sills, and Renée Fleming. According to the Financial Times, 'Erin Wall is the Thaïs of one's dreams, wielding a soprano of radiance, pristine beauty and tingling top notes", and she is joined on the recording by Joshua Hopkins in the role of Athanaël, while Nicias is sung by Andrew Staples.
3 2. Act I Scene 1: Voici Le Pain... (A Cenobite, Another, Palémon, the Cenobites, Several Cenobites, Others, Athanaël)
4 3. Act I Scene 1: Non... Mon Coeur Est Plein D'amertume (Athanaël, the Cenobites)
5 4. Act I Scene 1: Hélas! Enfant Encore (Athanaël)
6 5. Act I Scene 1: Ne Nous Mêlons Jamais, Mon Fils (Palémon, Cenobites, Athanaël)
7 6. Act I Scene 1: Vision - Honte! Horreur! Ténèbres Éternelles! (Athanaël)
8 7. Act I Scene 1: Toi Qui Mis la Pitié Dans Nos Âmes (Athanaël, Palémon)
9 8. Act I Scene 1: Esprit de Lumière Et de Grâce (The Voice of Athanaël, Cenobites)
10 9. Act I Scene 2: Prelude
11 10. Act I Scene 2: Va, Mendiant, Chercher Ailleurs Ta Vie! (Servant, Athanaël)
12 11. Act I Scene 2: Voilà Donc la Terrible Cité! (Athanaël, Crobyle, Myrtale)
13 12. Act I Scene 2: Athanaël! C'est Toi! Mon Condisciple (Nicias, Athanaël)
14 13. Act I Scene 2: Ah! Ah! Ah!... Je Vais Donc Te Revoir (Crobyle, Myrtale, Nicias, Athanaël)
15 14. Act I Scene 2: Thaïs! Sœur Des Karites! (Actresses, Actors, Philosophers, Nicias)
16 15. Act I Scene 2: C'est Thaïs, L'idole Fragile (Thaïs, Nicias, Athanaël)
17 16. Act I Scene 2: Qui Te Fait Si Sévère (Thaïs, Actresses, Actors, Philosophers, Athanaël, Nicias)
18 17. Act II Scene 1: Ah! Me Voilà Seule, Seule, Enfin! (Thaïs)
19 18. Act II Scene 1: Ô Mon Miroir Fidèle, Rassure-Moi? (Thaïs)
20 19. Act II Scene 1: Étranger, Te Voilà, Comme Tu L'avais Dit! (Thaïs, Athanaël)
21 20. Act II Scene 1: Qui M'inspirera Des Discours Embrasés (Athanaël, Thaïs)
22 21. Act II Scene 1: Vénus Invisible Et Présente! (Thaïs, Athanaël)
23 22. Act II Scene 1: Je Suis Athanaël, Moine D'antinoé! (Athanaël, Thaïs)
24 23. Act II Scene 1: Pitié! Ne Me Fais Pas de Mal! (Thaïs, Athanaël, Nicias)
25 24. Act II Scene 1: Thaïs, Idole Fragile (Nicias, Thaïs, Athanaël)
26 25. Act II Scene 2: Meditation
- Disc 2 -
1 1. Act II Scene 2: Prelude
2 2. Act II Scene 2: Père, Dieu M'a Parlé Par Ta Voix! (Thaïs, Athanaël)
3 3. Act II Scene 2: Non Loin D'ici, Vers L'occident (Athanaël, Thaïs)
4 4. Act II Scene 2: L'amour Est Une Vertu Rare (Thaïs, Athanaël)
5 5. Act II Scene 2: Suivez-Moi Tous, Amis! (Nicias, Crobyle, Myrtale, Friends of Nicias)
6 6. Act II Scene 2: Celle Qui Vient Est Plus Belle (Crobyle, Myrtale, la Charmeuse)
7 7. Act II Scene 2: Eh! C'est Lui! Athanaël! (Nicias, Crobyle, Myrtale, Friends of Nicias, Athanaël)
8 8. Act II Scene 2: Jamais! Non! (Nicias, Thaïs, Athanaël, Chorus)
9 9. Act III Scene 1: Prelude
10 10. Act III Scene 1: L'ardent Soleil M'écrase (Thaïs, Athanaël)
11 11. Act III Scene 1: Seul, Le Repentir Nous Épure (Athanaël, Thaïs)
12 12. Act III Scene 1: Ô Messager de Dieu, Si Bon Dans Ta Rudesse (Thaïs)
13 13. Act III Scene 1: Baigne D'eau Tes Mains Et Tes Lèvres (Thaïs, Athanaël)
14 14. Act III Scene 1: Pater Noster, Qui Es in Coelis (Voices, Thaïs, Athanaël)
15 15. Act III Scene 1: La Paix Du Seigneur Soit Avec Toi (Athanaël, Albine, Thaïs, White Ladies)
16 16. Act III Scene 1: Elle Va Lentement Parmi Les Fille Blanches (Athanaël)
17 17. Act III Scene 2: Que Le Ciel Est Pesant! (Cenobites, Palémon, a Cenobite, Chorus, Athanaël)
18 18. Act III Scene 2: Tu Sais, Ô Palémon, Que J'ai Reconquis L'âme (Athanaël)
19 19. Act III Scene 2: Ne T'avais-Je Pas Dit (Palémon)
20 20. Act III Scene 2: Qui Te Fait Si Sévère (Thaïs, Athanaël)
21 21. Act III Scene 2: Vision - Ah!... Une Sainte Est PRÈS de Quitter la Terre (Athanaël, Voices)
22 22. Act III Scene 2: Thaïs Va Mourir! (Athanaël)
23 23. Act III Scene 2: Symphonie: La Course de la Nuit
24 24. Act III Scene 3: Seigneur, Ayez Pitié de Moi Selon Votre Mansuétude! (White Ladies, Albine)
25 25. Act III Scene 3: Sois Le Bienvenu Dans Nos Tabernacles (Albine, Athanaël, White Ladies, Thaïs)
26 26. Act III Scene 3: Te Souvient-Il Du Lumineux Voyage (Thaïs, Athanaël)
Following acclaimed performances at the Edinburgh Festival and then in Melbourne, Sir Andrew Davis's recording of Massenet's opera Thaïs features an outstanding cast, and exceptional performances from his Toronto forces. Written shortly after the premiere of his masterpiece Werther, Thaïs was composed for the Californian soprano Sybil Sanderson who gave the premiere at the Paris Opéra in 1894. Sanderson's performance was a triumph, but the opera itself had a mixed reception. After Massenet revised it in 1898 it went on to worldwide success in the years leading up to World War I and has enjoyed continuous and growing success in our own time. The role of Thaïs has drawn many great artists, including Mary Garden, Geraldine Farrar, Maria Jeritza, Leontyne Price, Beverley Sills, and Renée Fleming. According to the Financial Times, 'Erin Wall is the Thaïs of one's dreams, wielding a soprano of radiance, pristine beauty and tingling top notes", and she is joined on the recording by Joshua Hopkins in the role of Athanaël, while Nicias is sung by Andrew Staples.
