Massenet composed Thaïs for a captivating soprano from California, Sybil Sanderson. Eight decades later the glamorous, but fragile Alexandrian courtesan was brought to life by another charismatic American singer, Beverly Sills. No less compelling is Sherrill Milnes as Athanaël, the ascetic monk who falls under Thaïs’s spell as he strives to save her soul. Nicolai Gedda charms as her hedonistic lover, Nicias, and not only does Lorin Maazel conducts Massenet’s perfumed score with exemplary finesse, he also plays the violin solo in the celebrated Méditation.
