Description
Symbolist Masterpiece: Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande - Dutoit / Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal (2x CD)
Product Details
- UPC: 0028947830443
- Product Type: 2x Audio CD Set
- Brand/Label: Decca – 478 3044
- Series: The Opera Company
- Composer: Claude Debussy
- Libretto: Maurice Maeterlinck
- Genre: Classical, Opera, Modern
- Style: Symbolism, Impressionism, 20th Century Music
- Setting: Chœurs et Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit (Conductor)
- Lead Cast: Colette Alliot-Lugaz (Mélisande), Didier Henry (Pelléas), Gilles Cachemaille (Golaud)
- Year Released: 2011 (Original recording date not specified, reissued 2011)
- Country: Europe
Overview
Pelléas et Mélisande is the only opera completed by Claude Debussy, serving as a monumental landmark in 20th-century music. Based on Maurice Maeterlinck's haunting Symbolist play, the music eschews traditional operatic forms for a continuous, atmospheric flow, where the orchestra plays an active role in conveying the characters' unspoken emotional states.
This acclaimed 2x CD recording features the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and Chorus, conducted by the experienced French repertoire specialist, Charles Dutoit. The opera masterfully depicts a tragic love triangle within the gloomy, timeless setting of Allemonde castle. The plot centers on the mysterious Mélisande, her husband Prince Golaud, and Golaud's younger half-brother, Pelléas. The growing, repressed love between Pelléas and Mélisande ultimately leads to tragedy, culminating in Golaud's violent jealousy and Mélisande’s quiet, enigmatic death. This 2011 Decca reissue ensures that this captivating performance, known for its clarity and sensitivity, remains available to opera enthusiasts.
Product Features
- Format: 2 x Audio CD, Album
- Conductor: Charles Dutoit
- Orchestra & Choir: Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal & Chœurs De L'OSM
- Key Vocalists: Colette Alliot-Lugaz (Soprano, Mélisande), Didier Henry (Baritone, Pelléas), Gilles Cachemaille (Baritone, Golaud), Pierre Thau (Bass, Arkel).
- Liner Notes: Includes notes in English, French, German, and Italian.
- Libretto Translations: German (Gerd Uekermann) and Italian (Carlo Zangarini) included in the accompanying booklet.
Interesting Facts
- Symbolist Aesthetics: Debussy's opera is the quintessential musical embodiment of Symbolism. He deliberately used the orchestra to create an atmosphere of psychological suggestion and ambiguity, where much of the drama lies beneath the surface of the text.
- Premiere History: The opera premiered in 1902 with the American soprano Mary Garden as Mélisande, a role that defined her career. Despite initial mixed reactions due to its radical break from Wagnerian and Italian opera traditions, the work's influence was immediate and profound.
- Golaud's Conflict: The role of Prince Golaud (sung here by Gilles Cachemaille) is perhaps the most tragic and complex, evolving from a protective rescuer to a figure consumed by jealousy and remorse, driving the central conflict.
- Artistic Direction: The CD packaging features cover artwork by Edward Burne-Jones, a major figure in the English Pre-Raphaelite movement, whose evocative, mythical style perfectly complements the opera's medieval setting and dream-like quality.
- Recording Excellence: The recording was engineered by John Dunkerley and produced by Ray Minshull, both known for their long associations with Decca's distinguished classical catalog, ensuring high sound quality.
Track Listing (Selected Highlights)
Premier Acte (Act 1) 1-1 Je Ne Pourrai Plus Sortir De Cette Forêt (Golaud)
Deuxième Acte (Act 2) 1-9 Vous Ne Savez Pas Où Je Vous Ai Menée? (Pelléas) 1-12 Ah! Ah! Tout Va Bien (Golaud)
Troisième Acte (Act 3) 1-16 Mes Longs Cheveux (Mélisande) - The famous Tower Scene 2-3 Qu'ils S'embrasse, Petit Père? (Yniold)
Quatrième Acte (Act 4) 2-7 Ne Mettez Pas Ainsi Votre Main À La Gorge (Golaud) 2-10 C'est Le Dernier Soir (Pelléas)
Cinquième Acte (Act 5) 2-16 Mélisande, As-tu Pitié De Moi (Golaud) - The Death Scene
Publishers
Decca (Label) Decca is one of the world's most iconic classical record labels, renowned for its technical recording innovations and its comprehensive catalog of opera recordings, including definitive performances of the French repertoire.
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Hashtags
#DebussyOpera #PelleasEtMelisande #CharlesDutoit #MontrealSymphony #DeccaOpera #SymbolistMusic #20thCenturyOpera #ColetteAlliotLugaz #ClaudeDebussy
