The libretto of debussys pelleas et melisande music and. The project gutenberg ebook of debussys pelleas et melisande. Libretto based on the play pelleas et melisande by maurice maeterlinck. Discover the haunting beauty of pelleas and melisande, the only opera from claude debussy. 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. Golaud finds melisande, a fairylike figure, in a dark forest. Debussy and his librettist, maurice maeterlinck, declared that they were.
Arioso a recitative of a lyrical and expressive quality. It was first performed at the swedish theatre in helsinki on 17 march 1905 to a translation by bertel gripenberg, conducted by the composer. As a background to the opera, the authors, together with david grayson, discuss various aspects of the play. 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. Other articles where pelleas et melisande is discussed. Pelleas et melisande, claude debussy articulate silences.
Claude debussys pelleas et melisande is a unique, timeless work. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. 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. These things apply to pelleas and melisande by claude debussy, built on the same text. 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. It is necessary, declared an acute french critic, m. Featured author noelle holten is an awardwinning blogger at uk. Dec 18, 2019 claude debussys pelleas et melisande is a unique, timeless work.
A list of the top opera music composers and their compositions. Claude debussys only opera, pelleas et melisande is a remarkable setting of maurice maeterlincks symbolist play. Premiered on february 7, at the paris national opera, palais garnier. Pelleas and melisande by maurice maeterlinck full text free book file size. Anyhow, the libretto cannot have the length of a play, but appends a musical dimension to the production. 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 et melisande pelleas and melisande is an opera in five acts with music by claude debussy. Haitink is a conductor who to my ears invariably refuses to interpret. Pdf the road from the theatre text towards the opera performance is an attempt to. Before beginning rehearsals, debussy played through the entire score on a piano, singing all the parts himself, and cautioned, everyone must forget. David grayson, the libretto of debussy s pell eas et melisande, music and letters, volume 66, issue 1, january 1985.
The score is hauntingly beautiful, but there is more to the work than shifting panels of elusive, impressionistic sound. 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. Erich leinsdorfcleveland orchestraerich leinsdorf, conductorcolumbia 78rpm set mm845 xco 35889. When he wrote it, debussy asserted it is an opera after wagner, not inspired by wagner. Pelleas et melisande had its premiere in paris in 1893.
First performance at operacomique, paris on 30 april 1902. Van dam is the perfect golaud,and ewing is fine as melisande. The libretto of debussy s pelt fas et melisande by david grayson debussy was occupied even preoccupied with operatic projects throughout his career. Guiraud advised debussy to put it aside until after he had. Read the libretto, translated to english, of the french opera pelleas et melisande by claude debussy on. The direction and choreography will be provided by sidi larbi cherkaoui and damien jalet. The word overview ideally suggests that every single extant version of a recording should be covered in the contents.
Simon rattle and peter sellars on pelleas et melisande. Simon boccanegra february 2010 boris godunov november 2010. Sibelius composed in 1905 ten parts, overtures to the five acts and five other movements. Jean marnold, writing shortly after the event, to go back perhaps to tristan to find in the opera house an event so important. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. 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. 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. They consider its literary roots, trace its genesis and composition, and illuminate debussys.
Debussy and his librettist, maurice maeterlinck, declared. 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 education resource page 4 36 glossary act a component of the total work, consisting of its own partial dramatic arc. Pelleas et melisande sir simon rattle, lso lso live. Pelleas et melisande can be followed without reading every word of the text, though you will miss some beautiful and evocative lines. Pelleas et melisande pelleas och melisande, js 147 is incidental music by jean sibelius for maurice maeterlincks 1892 play pelleas and melisande. Complete summary of maurice maeterlincks pelleas and melisande. Baritone the male voice between the tenor and bass. The libretto of debussys pelleas et melisande music.
Opera by claude debussy, libretto by maurice maeterlinck. 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. 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. Maeterlinck, which unfolds in a sensual and dreamlike atmosphere. 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. Pelleas et melisande by maurice maeterlinck free ebook. Oxford university press is a department of the university of oxford. Mar 11, 2014 debussy pelleas et melisande acte iii, scene 1 duration.
Pelleas et melisande at the met featuring finley and. Pelleas et melisande ist eine franzosische oper in funf akten 15 bildern. Conductor richard mills director elizabeth hill set and costume design candice macallister lighting design joseph mercurio. 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.
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. Notes revised edition of vocal score with expanded interludes. For the staging, they will be collaborating with the worldfamous performance artist marina abramovic. His single completed opera, pelleas et melisande 1st perf. Only a single glance between pelleas and melisande and their fates are joined together. The libretto of debussys pelt fas et melisande by david grayson debussy was occupied even preoccupied with operatic projects throughout his career. 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. Pelleas et melisande in full score 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. When he addresses her she cringes and sings her first words almost without a voice. Bernard haitinks reading of this glorious, misty work is gloriously misty, if thats what youre looking for. As to the recorded sound, even though it is a mono recording although stereo recording had already been developed in.
Pdf pelleas and melisande maurice maeterlinck and the opera. Golaud samuel dundas pelleas angus wood arkel david parkin melisande siobhan stagg genevieve liane keegan yniold sophia wasley shepherddoctor stephen marsh. Pelleas and melisande by maurice maeterlinck full text. 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. 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. 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. Apr, 2010 pelleas et melisande by claude debussy, maurice maeterlinck, 1907, rullman edition, in french francais. This may be my favorite recording of pelleas as a combination of sound and performance quality. 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. This symbolist masterpiece fuses text, ethereal harmonies and floating instrumental colour with an atmospheric poetry unlike any other work. 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.
Aria an elaborate composition for solo voice with instrumental accompaniment. The french libretto was adapted from maurice maeterlincks symbolist play pelleas et melisande. Sir simon rattle leads an allstar cast in this highly anticipated new recording of debussys evocative opera pelleas et melisande. Although claude debussys intense opera is full of dark and disturbing. 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. Pelleas et melisande is a difficult opera because debussy uses little repetition and few obvious melodic hooks. It furthers the universitys objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. 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. Indeed, for the current revival, the cast was close to ideal with one important exception and the singing was spectacular.
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