Oxford university press is a department of the university of oxford. Pelleas et melisande pelleas och melisande, js 147 is incidental music by jean sibelius for maurice maeterlincks 1892 play pelleas and melisande. Golaud samuel dundas pelleas angus wood arkel david parkin melisande siobhan stagg genevieve liane keegan yniold sophia wasley shepherddoctor stephen marsh. The libretto of debussys pelleas et melisande music and. Set in a medieval dreamworld, pelleas et melisande pelleas and melisande, which had firmly established maeterlincks international reputation, provided an apt framework for debussy s evocative opera, in which melisande occupies the central position, the drama studying her in relationship with others, with golaud, with pelleas and with. The word overview ideally suggests that every single extant version of a recording should be covered in the contents. Before beginning rehearsals, debussy played through the entire score on a piano, singing all the parts himself, and cautioned, everyone must forget. Discover the haunting beauty of pelleas and melisande, the only opera from claude debussy. Pelleas et melisande sir simon rattle, lso lso live. Jul 04, 2012 pelleas et melisande, claude debussy by tacet the century of aeroplanes deserves a music of its own, announced the french composer claude debussy as he set about creating a new musical language at the close of the 19th century, reaching a sensual ambience in his orchestral rejection of german symphonic form and melodic development. As a background to the opera, the authors, together with david grayson, discuss various aspects of the play. For the staging, they will be collaborating with the worldfamous performance artist marina abramovic.
Complete summary of maurice maeterlincks pelleas and melisande. Pelleas et melisande by maurice maeterlinck free ebook. As to the recorded sound, even though it is a mono recording although stereo recording had already been developed in. Claude debussys pelleas et melisande is a unique, timeless work. Pelleas et melisande had its premiere in paris in 1893. Pelleas et melisande pelleas and melisande is an opera in five acts with music by claude debussy. At the castle gate melisande at the seashore spring in the park the three blind sisters pastorale melisande at the spinningwheel entracte the death of.
As per debussys description of his ideal orchestral layout, philharmonic artistic director simon rattle makes unusual choices, such as placing the clarinets within the low strings. The project gutenberg ebook of debussys pelleas et melisande. Conductor richard mills director elizabeth hill set and costume design candice macallister lighting design joseph mercurio. A list of the top opera music composers and their compositions. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. The libretto of debussys pelt fas et melisande by david grayson debussy was occupied even preoccupied with operatic projects throughout his career. David grayson, the libretto of debussy s pell eas et melisande, music and letters, volume 66, issue 1, january 1985.
Its as creepy as hitchcock i n t e r v i e w s b y t o m s e r v i c e the orchestra doubles as a. Van dam is the perfect golaud,and ewing is fine as melisande. Maeterlinck, which unfolds in a sensual and dreamlike atmosphere. If you want to save money on this opera until you are certain it is for you then go for the excellent jeanclaude casadesus in a very good recording from lille from 1996 naxos 8.
Featured author noelle holten is an awardwinning blogger at uk. It was first performed at the swedish theatre in helsinki on 17 march 1905 to a translation by bertel gripenberg, conducted by the composer. They consider its literary roots, trace its genesis and composition, and illuminate debussys. The score is hauntingly beautiful, but there is more to the work than shifting panels of elusive, impressionistic sound. Premiered on february 7, at the paris national opera, palais garnier.
Debussy and his librettist, maurice maeterlinck, declared that they were. Other articles where pelleas et melisande is discussed. Its a work that is founded on ambience and ambiguity, as much in the libretto maurice maeterlincks symbolist drama brought over almost intact as in the haunting qualities of debussys music, which. First performance at operacomique, paris on 30 april 1902. Pdf the road from the theatre text towards the opera performance is an attempt to. It is necessary, declared an acute french critic, m. His single completed opera, pelleas et melisande 1st perf.
The direction and choreography will be provided by sidi larbi cherkaoui and damien jalet. There are leitmotifs to summarize, short melodic capsules often associated with events, characters or ideas but they rise to prominence briefly and then are buried in the texture when they return. Baritone the male voice between the tenor and bass. Simon rattle and peter sellars on pelleas et melisande. Erich leinsdorfcleveland orchestraerich leinsdorf, conductorcolumbia 78rpm set mm845 xco 35889. Pelleas et melisande, claude debussy articulate silences. Mar 11, 2014 debussy pelleas et melisande acte iii, scene 1 duration. Set in a medieval dreamworld, pelleas et melisande pelleas and melisande, which had firmly established maeterlincks international reputation, provided an apt framework for debussys evocative opera, in which melisande occupies the central position, the drama studying her in relationship with others, with golaud, with pelleas and with. It was captured in january 2016 during performances of an innovative collaboration between rattle and peter sellars, two of the boldest creative minds in music and theatre today. Haitink is a conductor who to my ears invariably refuses to interpret. Jul 09, 2010 debussy based his opera on a play by maurice maeterlinck, which the composer praised for having both a dreamlike atmosphere and more humanity than those socalled real life documents. Pelleas and melisande by maurice maeterlinck full text. Jan 01, 1982 distinguished by its sure and economical craftsmanship, pelleas et melisande is debussy s only opera a perfect marriage of music and verse that ranks as one of the great landmarks in the history of the form, so sublimely does the musical style fit maeterlincks allegory of guilt and innocence. Pdf pelleas and melisande maurice maeterlinck and the opera.
Apr, 2010 pelleas et melisande by claude debussy, maurice maeterlinck, 1907, rullman edition, in french francais. Claude debussys only opera, pelleas et melisande is a remarkable setting of maurice maeterlincks symbolist play. Jean marnold, writing shortly after the event, to go back perhaps to tristan to find in the opera house an event so important. Debussy and his librettist, maurice maeterlinck, declared. Only a single glance between pelleas and melisande and their fates are joined together. Debussy based his opera on a play by maurice maeterlinck, which the composer praised for having both a dreamlike atmosphere and more humanity than those socalled real life documents. Distinguished by its sure and economical craftsmanship, pelleas et melisande is debussys only opera a perfect marriage of music and verse that ranks as one of the great landmarks in the history of the form, so sublimely does the musical style fit maeterlincks allegory of guilt and innocence.
Golaud finds melisande, a fairylike figure, in a dark forest. Libretto based on the play pelleas et melisande by maurice maeterlinck. The french libretto was adapted from maurice maeterlincks symbolist play pelleas et melisande. Opera by claude debussy, libretto by maurice maeterlinck. The libretto of debussy s pelt fas et melisande by david grayson debussy was occupied even preoccupied with operatic projects throughout his career. Debussys pelleas et melisande, drame lyrique en 5 actes et 12 tableaux, was performed for the first time on any stage at the operacomique, paris, april 30, 1902.
Hugh macdonalds much praised english translation is published here for the first time, with an essay uncovering the musical roots of pelleas and illustrating its importance to music of the twentieth. Jan 07, 2011 pelleas et melisande is an amazing testament to debussys intellect and talent, and should always be presented with such high standards of artistry. As to the recorded sound, even though it is a mono recording although stereo recording had already been developed in 1956 when the recording was made, it, unfortunately, was not yet being used by emi for recordings in france, it is full bodied and spacious with a particularly clear and natural. It was premiered at the salle favart in paris by the operacomique on 30 april 1902 with jean perier as pelleas and mary garden as melisande in a performance conducted by andre messager, who. Sibelius composed in 1905 ten parts, overtures to the five acts and five other movements.
This epochal play by the belgian poet and playwright maurice maeterlinck 18621949, one of the masterpieces of the symbolist movement, left its mark not only on fellow writers and poets but on a wide range of composers as well most famously, claude debussy, who immediately embarked. Simon boccanegra february 2010 boris godunov november 2010. Sir simon rattle leads an allstar cast in this highly anticipated new recording of debussys evocative opera pelleas et melisande. Pelleas et melisande at the met featuring finley and. Pelleas and melisande by maurice maeterlinck full text free book file size. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. Although claude debussys intense opera is full of dark and disturbing. Pelleas and melisande education resource page 4 36 glossary act a component of the total work, consisting of its own partial dramatic arc. Pelleas et melisande in full score by claude debussy. When he addresses her she cringes and sings her first words almost without a voice. In this guide to pelleas, maeterlincks play is reprinted in full, so that the operalover can read the scenes that debussy did not set to music. Bernard haitinks reading of this glorious, misty work is gloriously misty, if thats what youre looking for. It furthers the universitys objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Aria an elaborate composition for solo voice with instrumental accompaniment.
Pelleas et melisande is a difficult opera because debussy uses little repetition and few obvious melodic hooks. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Pelleas et melisande ist eine franzosische oper in funf akten 15 bildern. Indeed, for the current revival, the cast was close to ideal with one important exception and the singing was spectacular. These things apply to pelleas and melisande by claude debussy, built on the same text. Anyhow, the libretto cannot have the length of a play, but appends a musical dimension to the production. This may be my favorite recording of pelleas as a combination of sound and performance quality. Guiraud advised debussy to put it aside until after he had. Dec 18, 2019 claude debussys pelleas et melisande is a unique, timeless work.
Read the libretto, translated to english, of the french opera pelleas et melisande by claude debussy on. Notes revised edition of vocal score with expanded interludes. This symbolist masterpiece fuses text, ethereal harmonies and floating instrumental colour with an atmospheric poetry unlike any other work. Composer claude debussy librettist maurice maeterlinck. When he wrote it, debussy asserted it is an opera after wagner, not inspired by wagner. Pelleas et melisande can be followed without reading every word of the text, though you will miss some beautiful and evocative lines. Arioso a recitative of a lyrical and expressive quality. The libretto of debussys pelleas et melisande music. It is a bit like its characters, who evolve in another world, lost in the mists of a never ending dream, set to a hypnotic music that serves as a blurry mirror image of it.