This arrangement was modified in its edition and violin indications. A very clean piano part was written. Very good edition of the entire score.

The Méditation is an instrumental entr'acte performed between the scenes of Act II in the opera Thaïs. In the first scene of Act II, Athanaël, a Cenobite monk, confronts Thaïs, a beautiful and hedonistic courtesan and devotée of Venus, and attempts to persuade her to leave her life of luxury and pleasure and find salvation through God. It is during a time of reflection following the encounter that the Méditation is played by the orchestra. In the second scene of Act II, following the Méditation, Thaïs tells Athanaël that she will follow him to the desert.

The piece is in D major and is approximately five minutes long (although there are a number of interpretations that stretch the piece to over six minutes). Massenet may also have written the piece with religious intentions; the tempo marking is Andante religioso, signifying his intention that it should be played religiously (which could mean either strictly in the tempo or literally with religiously-founded emotion) and at walking tempo, or around 60 BPM. The piece opens with a short introduction, with the solo violin quickly entering with the motif. After the violin plays the melody twice, the piece goes into a section marked animato, gradually becoming more and more passionate (Massenet wrote poco a poco appassionato). The climax is reached at a place marked poco piu appassionato (a little more passion) and is then followed by a short cadenza-like passage from the soloist and returns to the main theme. After the theme is played twice, the soloist joins the piano while playing harmonics on the upper register as the piano quietly play below the solo line.

The Ultimate Violin Christmas Collection

32 festive favourites arranged for violin with piano accompaniment.

Unique arrangements of some of the most popular Christmas carols, some including optional descants! Designed for digital viewing - just download and start playing.

The ultimate collection includes 2 exclusive arrangements (Carol of the Bells & the Darke setting of In the Bleak Mid-Winter) which are not available anywhere else.

Full piano scores with chord markings as well as individual violin parts. Export the violin parts as their own PDF



Pieces included in this collection:

Once in Royal David?s CityO Little Town of Bethlehem (UK version)Jingle BellsAway in a Manger (UK version)Good King WenceslasThe Holly and the IvyO Come O Come EmmanuelWhat Child is This?Ding Dong Merrily on HighCarol of the BellsIn the Bleak Mid-Winter (Holst version)Joy To The WorldO Christmas TreeDeck The HallsCoventry CarolAngels from the Realms of GloryO Little Town of Bethlehem (US version)I Heard the Bells on Christmas DayGod Rest Ye Merry GentlemenSilent NightAway in a Manger (US version)The First NoëlI Saw Three ShipsO Holy NightGood Christian Men RejoiceWhile Shepherds Watched Their FlocksIn the Bleak Mid-Winter (Darke version)We Three Kings of Orient AreHark the Herald Angels SingIt Came Upon the Midnight ClearO Come All Ye FaithfulWe Wish You a Merry Christmas