Pelleas and Melisande (opera)

A few years before becoming acquainted with the play, Debussy expressed a desire to write an opera on a libretto, where everything is “only half said”, the time and place of action are uncertain, and the characters not only “discuss with each other”, but “endure their life, fate” ^{[ 1]} .

Debussy has been working on opera for ten years (from 1892 to 1902). After the opera was staged, the composer noted in a letter to the Secretary General of the Comic Opera that “for a long time I tried to write music for the theater, but the form in which I wanted to put it on was so little familiar that after several experiments I almost retreated ”wrote:

In July 1893, the composer, using the assistance of the writer Henri de Rainier , asked Meterlink to give his consent to the use of his drama for an opera libretto and received his consent (letter from the playwright to Rainier of August 8, 1893) ^[2] . After this, the composer leaves for Ghent in Belgium in November, where, with the permission of the small-musical Meterlink to use his drama as the basis for opera and to make the necessary notes, Debussy began work in August 1893 and basically completed the music on August 17, 1895 (the first edition) ^[2] .

In 1901, the opera was accepted for production by the Paris Opera Opera comedian . At that time, a scandalous rupture occurred between Debussy and Meterlink , which was apparently caused by the playwright’s desire to entrust the role of Melisande to the singer Georgette Leblanc , who repeatedly performed on the stage of the Comic Opera Theater and was his common- law wife. According to Leblan’s memoirs, the composer allegedly initially agreed to the conditions of Meterlink and even allegedly rehearsed with the singer several times ^[3] . Albert Carre, director of the Opera-Comic Theater, proposed and insisted on inviting the role of Melisande to the young singer Mary Garden , who successfully performed the title role in the acclaimed opera G, Charpentier's “Louise”. Rehearsals began on January 13, 1902, and Debussy, hearing a Scottish singer, agreed to entrust her with the role of the heroine of his opera ^[3] .

On April 14, 1902, Meterlink published an open letter in the Figaro newspaper declaring that Pelléas had become alien and almost hostile to him about the violation of his copyrights, the premiere of the opera was being prepared contrary to his consent and opinion, the performer proposed by him was replaced by another and arbitrary and absurd notes and distortions are made in the text. Meterlink concluded his letter with a statement that he wished Debussy's opera a “quick and loud” failure ^[3] . According to rumors, the playwright even trained in pistol shooting, intending to kill Debussy ^[4] . Instrumentation and final finishing of the score continued until the last days before the premiere ^[1] . The composer's work on the opera did not stop even after the opera was staged - the composer repeatedly returned to the score and improved it.

• Arkel , King of Allemond ( bass )
• Genevieve , mother of the princes, grandchildren of the king ( mezzo-soprano )
• princes, grandchildren of the king
  • Pelleas ( tenor )
  • Golo ( baritone )
• Melisande ( soprano )
• Yinold , boy, son of Golo (soprano or treble )
• Shepherd (baritone)

Also - sailors (male choir), servants, three beggars (without words)

According to the score, for the performance of the opera you will need:

• woodwinds : three flutes (one of which is a double piccolo ), two oboes , English horn , two clarinets , three bassoons
• brass instruments : four horns , three trumpets , three trombones , tuba
• drums : timpani , cymbals , triangle , bells , bell
• plucked strings : harps
• stringed strings : main group

The duration of the opera is in the early Middle Ages.

Act One

• The first picture "Forest"

The grandson of King Arkel Golo, hunting a boar in the thicket, got lost in the wild forest. Suddenly, at the edge of the spring, he sees a very young girl, sobbing and frightened. Golo is amazed at her extraordinary beauty and offers her help, but the girl is frightened of him and cries even louder. Only by vowing to never harm her does Golo win her trust. A stranger calls her name: Melisande. Together they leave to find a way home together.

• Scene two “The room in the castle”

Golo’s younger brother, Pelleas, receives a letter from him informing him that he married Melisande six months ago. At the same time, Golo fears that with his unexpected marriage he angered his grandfather, the old king Arkel, who had long looked after a suitable bride for this grandson. “ If ,” writes Golo, “my grandfather will forgive me, I will come with Melisande to the castle.” Then light up, like a good sign, a lantern on the main tower . ” The mother of the brothers, Genevieve, shows this letter to the old king, and he is surprised and disappointed. Previously, Golo always consulted with his grandfather before making an important decision. And besides, the grandson writes that he still knows absolutely nothing about his wife - who she is and where she came from, how she ended up in a terrible forest. As soon as he tries to find out something, the wife sobs inconsolably. Pelleas enters the room and asks his grandfather to let him go to a dying friend. However, Arkel refuses - after all, Pelleas’s father is also very ill, his filial duty requires him to stay at home. And you also need to light the lantern on the tower.

• Scene Three “Before the Castle”

In the palace garden are Melisande and Genevieve. Mother Golo tells her daughter-in-law about the terrible, dense forests surrounding their palace. Pelleas goes out to meet them. He was on the seashore and saw that a great storm was approaching. Melisande recalls that just at that time, on full sails, the ship leaving her here leaves for the sea. The girl watches the ship leaving the horizon, as if anticipating his imminent death. Genevieve needs to look after the young son Golo from his first, deceased wife, and she leaves Melisande to Pelleas. He will show his new relative a garden.

Act Two

• The first picture "Fountain in the park"

Palleas and Melisande go to the old, abandoned fountain. It has water, and it is bottomlessly deep, like the sea. Pelleas loves to be here. He asks his daughter-in-law about Golo - did they also meet near the source? Did he want to kiss her then? Melisande absent-mindedly answers: “ Yes, I did. But I didn’t want that . ” Having removed a precious ring from her finger, a gift from her husband, she begins to toss it higher and higher. Pelleas warns that you should not play with such a thing at the bottomless well, but the girl does not seem to hear him. Suddenly, the ring flies high, high - and dives into the watery abyss. At that very moment 12 hours struck the castle tower. Melisande is in despair: “ What will I say now to Golo?” "Pelleas advises her:" Only the truth . "

• Scene two "Command in the castle"

In the castle chambers, on the bed lies the wounded Golo. A strange story happened to him: today, during a hunt, he heard a tower clock battle - 12 strokes. And at that very moment the usually calm horse suddenly carried. The prince fell to the ground and was seriously injured; now he is covered in blood. At the head of it sits Melisande. She is also in a gloomy mood, something depresses her. She must leave here, from this castle. Something terrible awaits her here. Golo, as he can, comforts his wife and holds her hands. But where is the precious ring given to them? Melisande wilts - she lost the ring. “ Where? - the husband inquires, “ it is better to lose everything, but not this ring .” She is afraid to tell the truth and tells Golo that she lost a ring in an old grotto on the seashore when she was looking for beautiful shells for Inyold. Golo demands that the wife immediately go to the grotto and find the ring. “ But it’s already dark, ” she fears, “ and I’m scared!” "Then Golo calls his brother and asks him to be her escort.

• Scene Three “Before the Grotto”

Pelleas and Melisande are standing at the entrance to the grotto. There are black clouds in the sky, the surf rumbles. The grotto is dark and scary, the passage inside leads a narrow path between two bottomless underground lakes, but you need to go. After all, Golo may ask what the girl saw there! And inside of them, an extraordinary beauty awaits: if you light a torch, its walls will sparkle with myriads of stars brighter than in a clear night sky. Melisande enters the grotto and immediately recoils in horror: inside she sees three sleeping old beggars. Pelleas decides to come here later.

Act Three

• The first picture "One of the towers of the castle"

In her room, Melisande stands by the window, singing and combing her golden hair. Passing by Pelleas fascinated by this spectacle. The daughter-in-law seems to him a bird of paradise, accidentally flying into their country. The prince asks her to give him a hand. The girl bends down from the window, and Pelléas is completely enveloped in her golden curls with which he wraps his arms around his face and neck, kissing them. Alarmed by the noise, a flock of pigeons flies out of the castle tower. “ Stop it, Pelleas ,” fears Melisande for the pigeons, “ they will be lost in darkness and will not find a way home .” Here on the road to the castle is seen Golo. He is alarmed by something and offers his brother to go to his house: “ It ’s already midnight. It’s not good for children to play in the dark . ”

• Scene Two “Castle Dungeon”

Golo leads his brother into the castle dungeon. Under its gloomy arches spilled a black lake, from which comes the stench. The torch casts alarming shadows on the walls. It’s hard for Pelléas to breathe, he wants to get out soon. “ Okay, let's get back, ” Golo agrees.

• The third picture "Terrace at the exit of the dungeon"

Summer afternoon, the sun is shining dazzlingly, the air is fresh and sweet after a gloomy dungeon. Pelleas enjoys the beauty of nature, roses in the garden, sea surf. In the castle window, he sees his mother and Melisande. Sees them and Golo. Looking at his young wife, he once again warns his brother that yesterday at the window he saw something that he did not like. Pelleas should avoid meeting with Melisande. She is very young, impressionable and also pregnant. The younger prince must draw the right conclusions.

• The fourth picture "Before the castle"

Late in the evening, Golo and his son walk around the castle. Under the window of his wife, he decides to take a halt and, being jealous, begins to question the boy what Pelleas and Melisande are doing in his absence: are they kissing? Inyold says that he saw nothing of the kind. However, his father does not believe him and, raising him above the ground, forces him to tell what there, in the chambers of Melisande, she and his brother are doing. Yinold is crying; he is uncomfortable, scared and ashamed. He is afraid of an angry father, and he is scared to look out the window ...

Act Four

• The first picture "Room in the castle"

Pelleas meets Melisande and tells her that his father is recovering and demands that his son leave the yard. He should leave - perhaps forever, but before leaving he wants to say goodbye to his daughter-in-law. He asks her to come to their fountain in the evening. Someone's steps are heard, and Pelleas leaves. An old Arkel appears in the room. Seeing Melisande regretted by something, he tries to find out the reason. Following him comes Golo, covered in mud and with a scratched face. When the wife wants to wipe the blood from his forehead, he pounces on her with curses and tears her hair. Frightened by what is happening, the old king stops and reassures his grandson, but he runs out of the room, taking his sword with him, promising to "wait in the wings." “ He stopped loving me ,” the young woman cries, “ how unhappy I am!” "

• Scene two “Fountain in the park”

In the park near Little Inold, a golden ball rolled under a large, heavy stone. A child cannot move it to the side. Suddenly a sheep bleating is heard - something unusual; animals are clearly frightened to death by something. And they are not driven to the side of the crib ... Frightened Inold runs away. At this time, Pelleas comes to the fountain. He must leave, but before that he should tell his daughter-in-law about his boundless love for her, with which he cannot fight. Melisande is a little late: Golo could not fall asleep for a long time. Hearing the recognition of the brother-in-law, she also opens her heart to him. She fell in love with him at first sight, as soon as she saw then in the garden ... Lovers hug each other. At this time, the noise of locked gates is heard - they are preparing for bed in the castle. Young people will not be able to get inside until the morning. Pelleas blesses this occasion: now Melisande can leave with him, they will begin a new life!

Suddenly Golo appears in front of them with a sword in their hands. From the very beginning of their meeting, he hid in the bushes and heard everything. Rushing to his brother, he wounds him with a sword. Melisande tries to flee, but her husband overtakes her and also injures her.

Act Fifth "A Room in the Castle"

At the bedside of the dying Melisande, the old king, Golo and the court doctor gathered. The doctor reassures Golo: " From the wound that you inflicted on her, the bird would not have died ." Recovering, the wounded woman calls her husband, who tells his grandfather and the doctor to leave them alone. He asks his wife for forgiveness, because through his fault she is bedridden; he tormented her. At the same time, jealousy continues to torment him. Gradually, he again begins to interrogate the dying woman: did she and Pelleas have a love affair, did she cheat on him? Melisande denies all charges, but the spouse does not calm down. Finally, the woman again loses consciousness. Golo curses his nature. “ She will die, I tortured her ! He says, “ and I will die after her .” Arkel brings in the newborn daughter of Golo and Melisanda: maybe the baby will give strength to her mother? But nothing can help a dying man. She only cries quietly, anticipating the unfortunate fate of her child. Women in black clothes enter the room, kneel down and pray. Golo is at a loss: why are they here? and demands that he be left alone again with his wife. But now this is pointless. Melisande passed away, and he weeps over her body.

1. ↑ ^{1 2} Hakobyan L.O. Pelleas and Melisande // Music of the twentieth century. Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M .: Practice, 2010 .-- S. 412-413. - 856 s. - ISBN 978-5-89816-092-0 .
2. ↑ ^{1 2} Kremlin Yu. A. Claude Debussy. - M .: Music, 1965. - S. 231-233. - 792 p.
3. ↑ ^{1 2 3} Debussy K. Articles. Reviews. Conversations. - M .; L .: Music, 1964. - S. 51-52.
4. ↑ G. et D.-E. Inghelbrecht. C. Debussy. Paris: Costard, 1953, p. 111.

• Hakobyan L.O. Pelléas and Melisande // Music of the twentieth century. Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M .: Practice, 2010 .-- S. 362-363. - 856 s. - ISBN 978-5-89816-092-0 .

• Debussy K. Selected Letters. - L .: Music, 1986.- 315 p.

• Kokoreva L. Claude Debussy: Research. - M .: Music, 2010 .-- 496 p.
• Kremlin Yu.A. Claude Debussy. - M.: Music, 1965, - 792 p.
• Kunitskaya R. Opera Debussy Pelléas and Melisande // On music. - M.: Soviet composer , 1980. - S. 65-102.
• Meterlink M. Pelleas and Melisande // Dramas. Poems Songs. - Samara: Agni, 2000 .-- S. 256-302.

• Lawrence Gilman: Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande: A Guide to the Opera with Musical Examples from the Score . 2005.
• Philippe Martin-Lau: Centenaires de Pelléas. De Maeterlinck à Débussy . Editions Paradigme, Orléans 2001, ISBN 2-86878-225-6 .
• Roger Nichols: Claude Débussy, Pelléas et Mélisande . University Press, Cambridge 1989, ISBN 0-521-30714-7 .

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