from Act III, Scene 2 of the French opera
Thaïs by Jules Massenet
Libretto: Louis Gallet
Role: Athanaël, a cenobite monk
Voice Part: baritone Fach: dramatic baritone
Setting: Cenobite place on the banks of the Nile, late 14th century
Synopsis: Athanaël tells Palémon, an old monk, that he has brought Thaïs back to God from sin. Since he left her, though, he has felt no peace. She fills his dreams and he feels that she is as beautiful as Helen of Troy and Venus the goddess of Love.