Musical Director:
Valery Gergiev
Stage Director:
Daniel Kramer Set Designer:
Giles Cadle Costume Designer:
Michael Crass Assistant Stage Director and Choreographer:
Elaine Tyler-Hall Lighting Designer:
Peter Mumford Musical Preparation:
Natalia Mordashova
French Language Coach:
Xenia Klimenko
To mark one hundred and fifty years since the birth of Debussy, the Mariinsky Theatre is paying tribute to the composer with a production of his only complete opera. Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande is being staged in St Petersburg for the first time in almost a century and for the first time ever at the Mariinsky Theatre.
Debussy’s attention was drawn by Maeterlinck’s play Pelleas et Melisande, staged in 1893. In it he saw something he had been searching for in vain for years – the text for an opera. Maeterlinck’s play perfectly matched his demands of an opera libretto and it was set to music by the composer with almost no changes.
The premiere of the opera Pelleas et Melisande took place in Paris on 30 April 1902 and brought the composer public acclaim, while it proved an historic event in French music that heralded the start of the 20th century.
The opera began to be staged in countries throughout Europe and it reached New York across the Atlantic as well as Russia too: in 1915 it was staged by the Petrograd Musical Drama Theatre. The premiere was hailed as a watershed in the history of Russian music, and the “charm of this music” was proclaimed unanimously.
The opera remained in the repertoire for two years. It was then only remembered at the close of the 20th century: in 1999 and 2010 it was performed at the Great Hall of the St Petersburg Philharmonic.
The start of 2012 – one and a half centuries since Debussy’s birth – was marked with a concert performance of the opera at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre prior to this new production.
The production of the opera is being staged by theatre director Daniel Kramer. The thirty-five year-old American who lives in London has already staged the opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle – apropos also after Maeterlinck – at the Mariinsky Theatre.
The production team includes Giles Cadle (Set Designer), Michael Krass (Costume Designer), Elaine Tyler-Hall (Assistant Stage Director and Choreographer) and Peter Mumford (Lighting Designer).
SYNOPSIS
Act I
A dark
forest in a distant land. A young woman flees her past. Prince
Golaud, hunting a trail of blood, discovers the runaway princess,
Melisande, and is taken by her beauty and her royal blood. Golaud takes
Melisande out of the forest.
Back home, on the depleted island
of Allemonde, Genevieve pleads with King Arkel to allow her son, Prince Golaud,
to return home with his new wife, Melisande. Arkel laments Golaud’s failure to
wed anothe r whose union would have ended the war that cripples his
nation. But in his old age and encroaching blindness, Arkel leaves
the decision to destiny and grants permission for Golaud to return home.
Pelleas, the bastard child of Genevieve, enters and begs King Arkel to let
him leave the island to visit a dying friend. Arkel refuses,
reminding Pelleas that his presence is needed at home to prepare for his
brothe r’s return and to care for his own dying fathe r upstairs.
The lamps are lit for Golaud’s return.
On a cliff atop the
island, Genevieve shows Melisande the unending darkened forests of
Allemonde which she has endured for forty years and the glistening sea far
beyond. Pelleas joins the m. Pelleas and Melisande stare out
in excitement as the boat which brought Melisande ushers away some
lucky few. Genevieve asks Pelleas to escort Melisande home. Pelleas informs
Melisande that he is leaving tomorrow.
Act II
Deep in the forest, Pelleas
leads Melisande to an old well which hithe rto cured the blind –
until King Arkel himself began to go blind. Melisande basks in the
too little seen sunlight. Melisande plays a dangerous game of catch with
her wedding ring over the bottomless well and drops the ring into
the well at the ominous stroke of noon. Pelleas urges Melisande to
tell Golaud the truth.
Golaud storms about his bedroom. While hunting,
precisely at the stroke of noon, he was tossed from his horse. Melisande
asks Golaud to take her away from the island; she senses something awful
that she cannot explain. Golaud, taking her hands to comfort her, notices
the wedding ring is missing. Melisande lies and says that she lost it
in a cave by the sea. Golaud explodes and forces Melisande to go
hunting for it immediately – with Pelleas.
At the mouth of
the cave, Pelleas and Melisande stand in terror. Pelleas forces
Melisande to enter so she can lie truthfully to Golaud about the place
where she “lost” the ring. The moon emerges and reveals three beggars
sleeping in the cave. Melisande is terrified and runs home.
Act III
Melisande, now locked in her tower,
contemplates her own escape. Pelleas interrupts and again tells Melisande that
he is leaving tomorrow. Melisande opens herself to Pelleas as best she can;
Pelleas binds himself in Melisande’s metaphoric love. Golaud discovers
the two and chides the m both for playing like children.
Golaud
takes Pelleas on a journey to smell the stench of death up-close.
Released from Golaud’s threatening grip, Pelleas basks in the
sunlight. Golaud tells Pelleas that Melisande is now pregnant and that he must
the refore keep a subtle distance – so as not to upset her.
Pelleas defies his half-brothe r’s wishes and goes to Melisande in her
tower.
Beneath her window, Golaud questions his son, Yniold, about Pelleas
and Melisande’s behaviour. But Yniold does not tell his fathe r what he
wants to hear. A light in the tower turns on and Golaud lifts
Yniold high in the air to spy on Pelleas and Melisande. Yniold sees
Pelleas and Melisande sitting, staring into the light.
Act IV
King Arkel throws a party to celebrate
the recovery of Pelleas’ sick fathe r and the coming birth of
Golaud and Melisande’s baby. Hope is returning to Allemonde. During the
party, Pelleas finds Melisande in anothe r room and plans a last
secret meeting at the well before his hopeful departure tomorrow.
Arkel enters and showers Melisande with gifts of love for the arrival
of her baby. Golaud enters, blood on his forehead, and confirms Pelleas’
departure the next day. Melisande tries to care for Golaud but he explodes
and accuses Melisande of infidelity, throwing her to the ground and
dragging her about. Arkel rises to control Golaud and to protect Melisande.
Arkel tries to comfort Melisande. Yniold tries to free his toy which is wedged
between two rocks. He tries to enlist Melisande’s help; but she is distracted by
her own grief and guilt. She plays a game with Yniold who sees a flock
of sheep being led to the slaughter. Yniold runs off in terror.
Pelleas prepares for his last meeting at the well with Melisande.
Melisande arrives, scared to enter the darkness with Pelleas. But once she
does, the y declare the ir love for one anothe r. The gates
of the palace close early. Golaud appears. The lovers kiss. Golaud
murders his half-brothe r, Pelleas. Melisande flees for her life.
Act V
The family gathe rs in Melisande’s
room as she fights for her life. She awakes with no recollection of the
murder or of her premature baby’s birth. Golaud asks to be alone with Melisande
and instantly obsesses over the true nature of her love for Pelleas. Arkel
re-enters to protect Melisande.
Melisande is introduced to her baby girl,
says “I pity her” and quietly dies. Arkel leads the family out of
the room. Now it is her daughter’s turn.
Daniel Kramer