Bob’s
World of
J. Massenet

Reviews — The New York Times

From the New York Times - November 25, 1907

THE STORY OF ”THAIS.”

An Early Christmas Legend to be En-
acted at Manhattan Opera To-night.

     ”Thaïs,” Massenet's opera, which is to be produced to-night at the Manhattan Opera House, was first performed at the Op‚ra in Paris in 1894. The book (in prose) is by Louis Gallet, who adapted it from a romance by Anatole France. The scene is laid in Egypt, at the end of the fourth century.
     The first act opens in the desert near Thebes, where Athanael, head of a religious order called Cenobites, sees in a vision Thaïs, a beautiful and notorious courtesan of Alexandria, who is filling the town with evil, and is moved on waking to attempt to save her soul. He sets out for Alexandria, and the second scene shows the sumptuous house of Nicias in Alexandria, where Athanael is kindly received, but when he tells his errand is laughed to scorn. Thaïs appears, and Athanael at once announces to her that he has come to bring her to the only true God. He succeeds in making an impression on her.
     In the next act the house of Thaïs is shown. Thaïs is at her devotion to the goddess Venus, when Athanael appears. At his harangue she is at first flippant, then frightened, and last defiant. Athanael goes, declaring that he will spend the night on her doorstep. The scene changes to a square in front of the house, and there is Athanael sleeping on the steps. Thaïs comes from the house to tell him that his words have sunk into her heart, that she is ready to follow him leaving behind all her goods, but a small statue of Eros. But Athanael breaks it to pieces, and tells her to go back and set fire to all her possessions. As she comes out, the two are confronted by Nicias and a crowd of his friends carousing. The crowd grows excited and resents her departure; they attack Athanael and there is a riot as Thaïs's house burns. Finally the two escape. After a long and painful journey Athanael and Thaïs reach an oasis, which is the scene upon which the third act opens. There is the convent of Albine and the White Ladies, to whom Athanael delivers over the rescued Thaïs. They say farewell, but Athanael finds that his feeling for her has become one of love. The second scene shows Athanael again among the Cenobites in the Theban desert, in wretchedness, with the figure of Thaïs always before his mind. He has a vision and sees her first as she was, then as she is now, dying in the convent. The scene changes to the convent of the White Ladies, where Thaïs lies near death. Athanael comes, hoping to bring her back to life and love, but she dies, with a vision of Heaven opening to her, while Athanael calls upon her in despair, offering to renounce all his vows for her love.

Last updated December 29, 2006