Sheet Music: Meditation

TitleMeditation
Alternate titlesThaïs
ComposerJules Massenet (1842–1912)
InstrumentationFlute and Piano
KeyD major
RangeC#4–A6
Time signature4/4
Tempo66 BPM
Performance time4:20
Difficulty levelintermediate
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (179 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (3.7 MB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (3.7 MB)
Date added2010-04-02
Last updated2018-02-26
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 13.9 (extremely popular)
Categories
Opera excerpts, Romantic, Show-off pieces

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Friday 2 April 2010

Tune of the Day: Meditation

from “Thaïs” by Jules Massenet

One of the world's greatest encore pieces, the “Meditation” comes from the opera Thaïs, written by French composer Jules Massenet in 1893. Thaïs is based on a novel by the French author Anatole France, which tells of a fourth-century Egyptian courtesan called Thaïs, who was converted to Christianity by a hermit monk who lived in the desert, and eventually became a saint. The opera was a great success, and stayed in the repertory of the Paris Opera continuously until 1956.

In the opera, the piece serves as a symphonic intermezzo in Act II. Although in its original form it is essentially a violin solo, it has been transcribed for almost every conceivable instrument, and is often played at flute recitals.