Massenet - Thaïs / Fleming, Hampson, Sabbatini, Shkosa, Vidal, Devellereau, Cals, Yves Abel
Given the renaissance in recent years of an interest inJules  Massenet--consider, for example, the 1999 release oftwoWerthersback to  back--the time definitely has become ripe for a new account of his late opera,Thaïs. This is the first alternative to appear on CD since the  problematicversion with Beverly  Sillsfrom the 1970s. While far from flawless (curiously, it was recorded in  two stretches, with a pause of 15 months between them), it makes a mostly  convincing case for the stirring beauty of Massenet's much-misunderstood work.  ForThaïs, with its exotic setting in Egypt of the early Christian  period, achieves much more than the sentimental romanticism often conveyed in  out-of-context performances of its best-known excerpt, the violin instrumentalMeditation. A kind ofTannhäuserin reverse,  this story of sin and an illusory quest for salvation (adapted fromAnatole France's novel) has its two  main figures--the monk Athanaël and the beautiful courtesan Thaïs --crisscross in their interior journeys, only to end by arriving at diametrically  opposed destinies (in a chiasmus that is the exact opposite of the one depicted  in Tennessee Williams'sSummer  and Smoke).Many will seek out this account chiefly for the presence ofRenée Flemingin the title role,  and she indeed crafts a memorable portrayal of Thaïs's path from worldly  irony to trusting soul. Fleming deploys her familiar, unique vocal style with  subtlety for the earlier scenes of Thaïs as courtesan, delivering her great  aria of doubt with aMarschallin-like vulnerability. Indeed, it's the breathy sumptuousness typical of her  voice that makes the converted Thaïs almost more of a challenge--although  Fleming does achieve a noticeable softening effect, above all in her death  scene. As the monk who tries to repress his very worldly feelings for  Thaïs,Thomas Hampsonclearly carries the seeds of  doubt from his first scene; if anything, the contrast between his two selves  isn't stark enough, and he brings too much vocal polish to the scenes where we  should hear a John the Baptist in hair shirt. Still, Hampson's sensitivity,  however reserved, elicits the crucial sense of compassion for Athanaël's  predicament. As Nicias, the cultured lover of Thaïs,Giuseppe Sabbatiniis excellent--their bittersweet farewell duet actually  contains some of the best chemistry on the whole set. True, Massenet's score  succumbs to passages of filler (for example, much of the ballet music) that  aren't at the level of its more inspired lyrical stretches, but young conductor  Yves Abel (making his Decca debut) captures its integral, supple beauty despite  some roughness in transitions and an occasionally raw surface from the  orchestra. Sound balances are less than ideal. An excellent booklet with full  libretto is included.--Thomas May