Vittorio Gui does not bring a particularly Gallic sensibility to this performance of Pelléas et Mélisande recorded at the 1963 Glyndebourne Festival, but he creates a dramatically charged reading that doesn't sacrifice the transparent delicacy of the music. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays with sensitivity and passion, and with gorgeously shaded tone. The cast also brings a sense of dramatic urgency to opera, a quality that does not uncommonly elude singers in this work, who can treat the characters with a pastel ...
Read More
Vittorio Gui does not bring a particularly Gallic sensibility to this performance of Pelléas et Mélisande recorded at the 1963 Glyndebourne Festival, but he creates a dramatically charged reading that doesn't sacrifice the transparent delicacy of the music. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays with sensitivity and passion, and with gorgeously shaded tone. The cast also brings a sense of dramatic urgency to opera, a quality that does not uncommonly elude singers in this work, who can treat the characters with a pastel reserve that reflects the stereotyped reputation of the music. Michel Roux as Golaud gives a particularly strongly etched performance; the character's development and volatility come across with vivid power. The scene with Pelléas in the grotto is fraught with menace, and his abuse of Mélisande has the manic energy of one completely out of control. Roux's voice is not consistently beautiful. In the first two acts, he tends to sound nasal and covered, but as Golaud's rage overwhelms him,...
Read Less
Add this copy of Debussy: Pelleas Et Melisande to cart. $49.50, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2009 by GLYNDEBOURNE: 878280000030.
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.