Claude Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande
September 26, 2017
I selected Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande opera (Debussy, 1862). I learned about Debussy’s La Mer my Freshman year in Music Appreciation class. His music is very calming and as an impressionist, Debussy’s music represents a mood. I felt that an opera by Debussy would be interesting. I selected the performance piece by Pierre Boulez (La Cabra Films, 2015).
The staging of the opera was multileveled often using staircases. The initial scene has the actor weaving in and out of tree trunks which represented a forest. A side panel was then removed via a pulley system to reveal a woman crying by a fountain. The video faded to music pages as the intermission between scenes and acts. Curtains were also drawn and closed between scenes.
The third scene of the first Act, had a two tier, dark stair case that reached nearly to the top of the stage ceiling. This staircase was used to represent Melisande’s ascent to the castle. The stairs were black and you could not see them. It created a very mystical and foreboding effect. In Act 2, scene 2, a half wall was raised from the floor and a half wall was lowered from the ceiling using pulleys. They combined to make a castle wall. The lower portion of the wall was then lowered revealing a bedroom. This was a clever way to show that this was the castle and to show a cutaway inside one of the castle rooms. A smoke machine was used in this scene to add to the gloominess of the scene.
In Scene 3, a steep staircase was used to represent the actors climbing down into a cave. Lighting was used to make the floor sparkle to represent the stars shining in the sea by the cave. The lighting throughout the whole opera was dark and mainly limited to spot lights.
In Act 3, scene 1, a terrace was used for Melisande’s and Pelleas’ flirtation scene. Scene 3, pulleys were used to raise castle walls again and the backdrop was backlight. A lighted circle was then raised by a pulley from behind the walls to represent the sun rise. In the later part of the opera, curtains with lighting was used for the backdrop.
The opera first opened on April 30, 1902, seven years after Debussy completed the opera. Debussy’s own self-doubt and the doubts of theater mangers caused the delay in producing the opera (Kettle, 2002). The reaction to the opera was mixed. Debussy’s fans and friends loved the opera while some critics stated it was too sickly. The opera became a cult favorite. Debussy’s friend, Paul Dukas stated that it was one of the best musical achievements in French history (Kettle, 2002). Today, it is considered a masterpiece and “a turning point in operatic history” (Kettle, 2002). Like, his music, the opera was about feelings not just a storyline.
The opera is revolutionary because Debussy relies on the words in the opera not just the singing. The audience could not understand most of the words of the opera of the day because they were more focused on the singing style than the words. Debussy wanted his audience to understand the words in his opera. Additionally, the vocal phrasing of some of his words was brilliant (Music Freelance, 2016). Debussy started a movement of opera that could be understood.
Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande opera was about fate and choices. I think this theme would lend itself well to a video game where the player develops the story and has the freedom to choose. These choices will lead to different consequences and outcomes.
In the Opera, Melisande decided to leave her home, Golaud decided to help Melisande and decided to marry her knowing nothing about her. If any of those choices were different, we would have a different outcome. Another major choice point is when Pelleas asked Arkel to visit a dying friend. Arkel decided not to let him go and Pelleas agreed to stay. If either had selected a different choice, Pelleas would have never met Melisande and the outcome would have been different.
Golaud made several choices other choices in addition to marrying Melisande. He chose to return home when he was unsure of the family’s reaction to his wife. He also chose to kill his brother when he was unsure if he was in fact having an affair with his wife. Golaud’s mother’s inaction throughout the Opera also represents choices made.
In this opera, Debussy was trying to portray courtier life and the consequences of people’s actions or inactions. It was important to him to show people’s feelings and the consequences of their choices. The game would be called La Mer which stands for The Sea. The choices the players make will have a ripple effect throughout the whole game. The game would have an ocean in the back ground and when a choice is made, it will cause large or small waves in the ocean depending on the eventual consequences. The music would also grow darker or lighter depending on the consequences.
References
Ashley, Tim. (2017, June 18). Pelléas et Mélisande review – fresh light on Debussy's mysterious fairytale. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/18/pelleas-et-melisande-review-garsington-opera-debussy-mysterious-fairytaleDebussy, Claude, 1862-1918. (2001). Pelléas et Mélisande. Paris :Naïve,
Kettle, Martin. 2002, April 26. 2002. A Fight at the Opera. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/apr/26/artsfeatures
La Cabra Films. (2015, September 19). Debussy Pelleas et Melisande Pierre Boulez. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSKXZpZWCk
Music Freelance. 2016, Aug 19. The story of... Debussy's 'Pelléas et Mélisande. Retrieved from: http://www.classical-music.com/article/story-debussys-pell-et-m-lisande
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