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Repertoire: Pelléas et Mélisande--Four Major Settings
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- čas přidán 24. 06. 2020
- Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist play became the subject of an opera, a symphonic poem, and two suites of theatrical music by, respectively, Debussy, Schoenberg, Fauré and Sibelius. Collect them all--here are recommended versions of each.
Wonderful bird's eye view! I'm partial to Ozawa/Boston for the Fauré. Not only is it a great performance but the recording/sonics are world class. Something magical about the sound. Early days (1987) of digital recording but the engineers aced it!
That Transfigured Night CD is one of my dearest albums of anything. A friend gave it to me when I was ending my first year of compositional studies, I listened to the work, fell immediately in love with it and instantly listened again from the beginning, four times in a row, the complete piece. In the end I said: "this is the most beautiful music I've ever heard". Today I can't name only one piece of music in such a way, but I know Transfigured Night has to be in every list I can come up with.
Really enjoyed the "thematic" format. Look forward to more!
The music of Gabriel Faure has always enchanted me....the first of the three great French composers..(with Ravel and Debussy) of the 20th C. His Suite of Pelleas is
as wonderful and ethereal as the play....
David I have just found your channel just now. YOUR CHANNEL IS AMAZING I AM GOING TO WATCH EVERY VIDEO OF YOURS but give me a couple of weeks to get through them all. I will be a loyal subscriber and I am looking forward to your upcoming videos! THANKS!
Thanks and welcome!
I have seen one author say that Golaud was evil-- but I think the real distinction is that he was the only sensible one. Karajan observed that Golaud was the only character who actually worked. Everyone else just stood around being royal.
Thank you for your snarky rendition of the story. I now understand what Maeterlinck was getting at. Very proto-existentialist.
If forced to pick one opera, which I love above all others, Pelleas et Melisande would be the one…I have ten or eleven recordings, but the Karajan is the one I go to more than any of the (very fine) other recordings. I’ve always thought that it’s one of his very best recordings, so am happy to know I’m not alone in thinking this. A big thank you for sharing her history! It was fascinating to learn where she came from! As always, a greatly diverting and enjoyable post.
Interesting. It the one I hate the most. I do understand it's a masterpiece. But it doesn't speak to me. I'm sure a better knowledge of the language would help.
@@jefolson6989 it does seem to be a work that either captivates or alienates. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say anything middling about it…it seems to evoke an extreme response one way or another.
May I introduce you to "Pelleas et Mélisande" by the Scottish composer William Wallace? A suite of his incidental music is recorded on Hyperion / low priced on Helios, with three movements: "The Love of Pelléas et Mélisande", "Spinning Song" and, who would have guessed, "The Death of Mélisande". But I would recommend it just for "Pelleas"-collectors. The first movement seems to me the best, the last is tragic romanticism as one would await; the Spinning Song is really bad taste. The most interesting fact is that this incidental music was written in 1897, which means that it predates all other "Pelleas"-compositions.
You've come up with original topics, and interesting ones! And it's good to see you added subtitles, that helps to follow the general picture. Keep on making us listen!
I'll do my best...thanks.
@@DavesClassicalGuide and you've been doing it marvelously. Thank you for taking the time and care, this can't be an easy enterprise, especially at this pace.
nice one david! love your enthusiasm :)
Every word about those works including the original play and the recommendations is absolutely correct, especially its essential silliness of the story. I'd only add that although it sounds very lovely for most of the time the Debussy is a very long evening at the opera and be sure to check the time the show starts - The first time I saw it I didn't notice the musicians reluctantly leaving the nearby pub and had to watch half the first act from the gods where they let me in as a favour.
Faure’s Pavane is one of my favorite pieces. I’ll have to check out his suite. (The Sicilienne is very familiar. Except for the last movement, you wouldn’t think anything in the suite evokes the weird plot’s tragedy.) And I’ll definitely have to revisit Sibelius’s; long time no hear. (Yes, Sibelius nails the spinning wheel. And ya gotta love the Intermezzo). I got a good chuckle out of your description of the plot, Dave.
What and interesting connection with Bartok's opera...except that Bartok may have borrowed from Maeterlinck and Debussy.....
David Zinman and Rotterdam recorded the Faure, Sibelius, and Schoenberg in a box on Philips in about 1980, and to my ears, the Sibelius and Faure remain the most interesting performances of those two suites that I have heard (the Schoenberg doesn't really rise to the same level). Sadly, the only one of the three that was released on cd is the Faure, which is coupled with the Requiem and Pavane with Fournet conducting the same orchestra (the Pavane is a very nice performance).
Try Karajan 1954 as well, but Abbado and VPO for me - there is real passion in the music.
Please do yourself a favor and get the original cd of Karajan's Pelleas (white case) if you can, instead of that atrocious later remaster that sucked the life out of the recording with their aggressive noise reduction.
It seems to me that EMI/Warner consider this recording to be Karajan's red-headed stepchild or something. While it seems virtually everything from Herbie von Herbie is destined for the deluxe-reissue treatment, his _Pelleas_ is kept in Warner's bargain-basement line and quite hard to find, particularly since it's one of the few things from HvH that isn’t available outside of physical format (no hi-res downloads - no downloads at ANY resolution, for that matter). They don’t even make the recording available on streaming services such as Tidal or Qobuz…and when's the last time you heard THAT said about a Karajan album?
I'll have to listen to the Ozawa recording - didn't know about it. I've always loved Faure's suite, but I've never heard a recording that did what I wanted it to do. I've heard the other incidental stuff not in the suite, but it never made much of an impression on me.
I absolutely love the Karajan Schoenberg (and that whole box). I had it on LP, and I have it on CD now.
I'll check out Herbie's opera recording. I have the Boulez, but I was never crazy about it.
I love Sibelius, but I never got into his Pelleas - I'll give it another listen.
I find Abbado and indeed Dutoit tolerable but Karajan is better. Ozawa really is very good and includes a nice Dolly Suite, Pavane, Elegie and what have you (ie I forget the other one).
Great approach. And funny... Your singing is top notch, almost. It's a comprehensive,intelligent and interesting way to bundle and link these works together. I agree Karajan was at his very best in these works.
Great topic and wonderful presentation. I know that you do not usually discuss DVDs but I am curious as to your thoughts about the Boulez version of the Debussy with the Welch National Opera. I have always thought it one of the most well-rounded opera DVDs. It does not feel like the clinical Boulez that we sometimes hear and I find the singers consistently moving.
I like your description of Symbolism but I would add a certain ethereal quality that is hard to define....sort of like the misty palace in Pelleas....where everything is in a strange but not too unpleasant vapor.....Did I put that very well?
Thank you for your review, David! I have listened Sibelius' Pelleas et Melisande from your recommendation, and it's gorgeous. I knew for many years Gennadi Rozhdesvensky version which sounds hyper-romantic to my ear.
By the way, which EMI remastering of Karajan's Peleas et Melisand with von Stade is better - 1987 year or 1999? Or no difference?
re: the Faure....the Prelude is quite stunning too....note that the first phrase of the Prelude is repeated in imitation of Melisande's penchant for saying things twice in the play. Also....re: Melisande's seeming obliviousness to everything (except the beautiful Pelleas), if you were locked in Bluebeards dungeons for who knows how long...wouldnt you be a little skittish about everything in the World?
For Debussy: what about Serge Baudo's recording from 1978? Actually, I am undecided between that one and Abbado on Deutsche Grammophon. Any hints from anyone would be appreciated.
(By the way, I think there might be a mistake in the rating of the Karajan version on ClassicsToday: Levine literally writes "The rest of the cast is splendid, as is the sound", but the Sound Quality gets just a 7, which is hardly splendid. This makes me think that the Artistic Quality rating could be mistaken as well: the rest of the review seems to call for something more than an 8).
That's Bob.
Nice format variation:) After that, I don’t suppose you’ll be doing the opera for a while, but it’s a tough one, as it’s hard to find a really bad recording for whatever reason.
I seem to remember Zubin Mehta recorded all these pieces sans Debussy on a single CD with the Israel Philharmonic (Sony Classical?). For Debussy, I’ve always enjoyed Dutoit as well as a live version Haitink did with the Orchestra National de France.
Brad Wilkins Zinman did a set with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, too.
Richard Lesses Thanks. I’ll have to check it out.
What do you think of the orchestral piece written to Maeterlinck's play by Cyril Scott?
Karajan also recorded Sibelius' P&M, the opening movement (At the castle gate) is impossibly slow! Very nice Berlin Wall of Strings though.
Slow...OK, but impossibly? I think not.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Impossibly as in 'wow, how do they manage it', and also as in 'this is a short movement but it's never going to end'.
I have a Debussy Pelleas orchestral Suite on Naxos, conducted by Markl. Have you heard it?
I have the whole set
10:23
Of thousands of recordings that I own, this is easily in the top ten. No doubt about it!
Cool video. I know it goes against a lot of critics, but I prefer the Dutoit recording of the Debussy, and I have listened to many of them! French-speaking singers makes a huge difference too.
Thank you. Dutoit is very good in this work. I agree with you.
I agree with that, but at least Van Dam is French-speaking...
I was trying to find Faure's Pelleas in my collection and I finally succeeded: Dutoit. Generally I don't like this conductor, but Faure might be the perfect music for him! I enjoyed it a lot.
David Hurwitz: Thank you for the inspiration and keep the videos coming.
Is the Supraphon box set (2007) with all 4 composers and Czech PO under Serge Baudo good, David?
Yes.
Brilliant . I have a friend who hates the opera and I'm trying to win him over . Very strange coming from a Wagnerite . Perhaps this will convert him .
11:40 LOL