Budepast Festival Orchestra: Debussy's Pelléas and Mélisande
About the Event
Immerse yourself in the stunning architecture of Budapest's breathtaking Palace of Arts for the ultimate concert set to awake your understanding of opera.
The Budapest Festival Orchestra's acclaimed opera series marches on, this time featuring Debussy's revolutionary musical drama, 'Pelléas and Mélisande,' a piece teetering on the surreal precipice between dream and reality. Once more under the astute direction of Iván Fischer, the cast comprises international luminaries.
Returning to the stage following the BFO's rendition of 'The Magic Flute,' Swiss tenor Bernard Richter embodies a vital role within his repertoire. Renowned soprano Patricia Petibon, dubbed by The Guardian as a charming eccentric, takes up the other titular role, while the character of Golaud is brought to life by Tassis Christoyannis, a familiar face to Hungarian audiences.
Debussy's opera strays from conventional narrative, opting instead for rich symbolism and prioritizing authentic speech over melody. The result is a deeply human, wave‐like swell of music that thrives on individual interpretation.
Back in April 1902, Debussy mused about his experiments with stage music, admitting it was conceived in such a unique form that he had nearly abandoned it. Concurrently, his lyric drama 'Pelléas and Mélisande,' comprised of five acts and thirteen scenes, had its premiere in Paris, met with a mix of reactions. Intriguingly, Maurice Maeterlinck, the Nobel laureate who penned the original play on which the opera was based, was absent from the premiere. His absence still fuels speculation about whether the music or the disappointment of his wife not being cast as Mélisande caused his no‐show.
The groundbreaking piece defies several French traditions, eschewing ballet and significant choral scenes. It does, however, abound with recitativo — a singing speech adapted to the French language. With the vocal parts maintaining a rhythmic monotone, barring emotional bursts, the emotional zeniths are marked by a pianissimo volume and subdued orchestra, instilling an intimate ambience uncommon in opera.
The concise plot of the opera: Golaud marries the much‐younger Mélisande, only for his brother, Pelléas, to fall in love with her. As their meetings escalate, so does their mutual affection, leading to a tragic finale when Golaud kills Pelléas. Mélisande, now a mother, dies, leaving the story to be largely overshadowed by intriguing symbols such as the forest, the concept of getting lost, a well, a ring, hair, and light.
Staging Debussy's opera is a rare occasion, given its myriad locations and intricate roles. Joining the triumvirate of Petibon, Richter, and Christoyannis are French bass Nicolas Testé (lauded by the Montreal Gazette as the 'excellent and tragic King Arkel'), the deep‐toned Yvonne Naef (returning after Fischer's 'Falstaff'), and Peter Harvey (whose voice was likened to that of a god by respected critic Melanie Eskenazi).
This production marks a collaboration between the Iván Fischer Opera Company, Müpa Budapest, the Vicenza Opera Festival, and the Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi.
Cast / Production
Conductor: Iván Fischer
Director: Iván Fischer, Marco Gandini
Featuring
Musicians of the Budapest Festival Orchestra
Soloists:
Bernard Richter (Pelléas)
Patricia Petibon (Mélisande)
Tassis Christoyannis (Golaud)
Nicolas Testé (Arkel)
Yvonne Naef (Geneviève)
Peter Harvey (Doctor / Shepherd)
Oliver Michael (Little Yniold)
