Claude Debussy – Pelléas et Mélisande / Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan 3xCD

UPC: 0190295900656
Label: Warner Classics / Parlophone Records Ltd.
Format: 3 × Audio CD, Remastered Edition (2017)
Recording Date: December 1978, Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin
Remastering: Abbey Road Studios, London (1999 / 2017)
Genre: Classical – Opera (French Impressionism)
Total Duration: CD1: 60:53 | CD2: 34:33 | CD3: 67:32
SPARS Code: ADD (Analog recording, Digital mixing & mastering)
Made in: EU

Overview

This acclaimed recording of Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, conducted by Herbert von Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker, is one of the most beautiful and emotionally charged interpretations of Debussy’s only completed opera. Originally recorded in 1978, it captures the Berlin Philharmonic at the height of its artistry, performing with luminous clarity and orchestral balance that perfectly evoke the opera’s mysterious and poetic atmosphere.

Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande—based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s symbolist drama—tells the tragic story of forbidden love and jealousy among its three central characters: Pelléas, Mélisande, and Golaud. Karajan’s interpretation highlights the opera’s shimmering textures, subdued sensuality, and emotional restraint, with every nuance illuminated by his trademark precision and orchestral transparency.

The cast features an extraordinary ensemble of international vocalists, led by Frederica von Stade (Mélisande), Richard Stilwell (Pelléas), José van Dam (Golaud), Nadine Denize (Geneviève), and Ruggero Raimondi (Arkel). Their authentic French diction and subtle vocal shading complement the lush orchestral palette, making this 1978 performance a touchstone of 20th-century opera recording.

Product Features

• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker
• Chorus: Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin (Chorus Master: Walter Hagen-Groll)
• Recording Venue: Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin
• Recording Year: 1978
• Remastering: Abbey Road Studios, London (1999 & 2017)
• Engineer: Wolfgang Gülich
• Producers: Michel Glotz, Simon Gibson (Remastering)
• Language: French
• Libretto: Maurice Maeterlinck
• Booklet: Trilingual (English, German, French) with text and synopsis

Principal Cast

Track Highlights

Disc 1 – Act I & II (Excerpts): Includes the famous Prelude, Mélisande’s first encounter with Pelléas (“Je ne pourrai plus sortir de cette forêt”), and the haunting fountain scene.

Disc 2 – Acts III & IV: Features the celebrated “Mes longs cheveux descendent de la tour” and the emotionally charged confrontation scenes between Golaud and Mélisande.

Disc 3 – Act V: Culminates in Mélisande’s death scene (“As-tu aimé Pelléas?”)—a moment of exquisite restraint and tragic simplicity.

Critical Reception

⭐ “A performance of surpassing beauty... Karajan achieves orchestral transparency and emotional depth without sentimentality.” – The American Record Guide ⭐ “The Berlin Philharmonic’s sound glows with mystery and precision. Von Stade’s Mélisande is unforgettable.” – BBC Music Magazine ⭐ “One of the finest Pelléas recordings ever made, with impeccable balance and phrasing.” – Gramophone ⭐ “Great Recordings of the Century” – EMI / Warner Classics Series Designation

Interesting Facts

• Impressionist Soundworld: Debussy’s only completed opera, Pelléas et Mélisande (1902), redefined operatic realism through subtle orchestration, coloristic harmony, and psychological depth.
• Karajan’s Vision: Known for his obsession with sonic beauty, Karajan’s meticulous control of orchestral color perfectly matches Debussy’s atmospheric score.
• A Multilingual Cast of Francophones: Despite international origins (USA, Belgium, Italy), all principal singers deliver fluent and idiomatic French diction.
• Remastered Legacy: Digitally restored at Abbey Road Studios, this edition offers improved clarity, dynamics, and warmth from the original analog tapes.

Publishers / Label

℗ 1979, Remastered ℗ 1999, © 2017 Parlophone Records Ltd. A Warner Music Group Company. Distributed under the Warner Classics label.

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Hashtags

English:

#ClaudeDebussy #PelleasEtMelisande #HerbertVonKarajan #FredericaVonStade #RichardStilwell #JoseVanDam #RuggeroRaimondi #NadineDenize #BerlinerPhilharmoniker #WarnerClassics

Hungarian (Címkék):

#ClaudeDebussy #PelléasÉsMélisande #Karajan #BerlinerFilharmonikusok #Opera #Impresszionizmus #WarnerClassics #FredericaVonStade #JoseVanDam #ZeneCD