Thaïs is an Egyptian courtesan and priestess of Venus whom the Christian monk Athanaël seeks to reform.
A scene from Thaïs at the Metropolitan Opera Photo: ©2017 Chris Lee
Sunday 25 February at 6.00pm on RNZ Concert
Metropolitan Opera 2018 Season
MASSENET: Thaïs
Ailyn Pérez is the alluring courtesan and Gerald Finley is the holy man who tries to resist her powers of seduction in Massenet’s tale of sensuality versus spirituality.
Although Massenet composed Thaïs for the Paris Opéra, where spectacle was often the order of the day, he wisely concentrated on the inner lives of the two lead roles.
The result is an opera as seductive as its heroine, a fascinating story of two people locked in an opposing yet parallel metamorphosis.
The opera takes place in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, and in the surrounding desert, in the fourth century A.D. Alexandria was a cosmopolitan city, while the harsh desert was the birthplace of the severe traditions of hermits and monks. The setting reflects the conflict of human passion and religious fervor that is at the core of the drama.
Thaïs............................ Ailyn Pérez
Nicias.......................... Jean-François Borras
Athanaël...................... Gerald Finley
Palémon....................... David Pittsinger
Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra/Emmanuel Villaume (EBU)
