Massenet’s Thaïs in a broadcast from November 11, 2017, starring American soprano Ailyn Pérez in her role debut as the glamorous courtesan and title character. Canadian baritone Gerald Finley gave his first staged performance as the monk Athanaël, in Massenet’s intriguing exploration of the conflict between religious faith and sensual desire. French maestro Emmanuel Villaume conducted a cast that also featured tenor Jean-François Borras as Nicias and bass-baritone David Pittsinger as Palémon, in the Met’s first presentation of this opera in nearly a decade.
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