Pelléas et Mélisande

Pelleas Et Melisande is not one of my favourite operas, the story is one that you are not riveted by from start to finish, but I do have a fondness for Debussy's truly haunting music. I was disappointed however by this 1987 performance. It does have some great things about it. The orchestra do play absolutely beautifully, and John Elliot Gardiner's conducting is literate and gives some character to some of the remoteness seen on stage. The singing from the three leads is excellent, the most consistent being Jose Van Dam's sonorously sung and intensely acted Golaud. Though Collete Alliot-Lugaz's Melisande is sung with beauty of tone and intelligence, even if she is made too much to act like someone from Stepford Wives, and Francois Le Roux is equally very good for similar reasons. Sadly, Roger Soyer's Arkel is a disappointment, he has a good voice but he is very stiff and awkward as an actor. The staging has too much of a remote feel, making the action rather dull. Some of the staging touches are unnecessary in how little they add to the drama, sometimes you are wondering what is it I'm supposed to look at. It all feels too improvisational and under-rehearsed. The sets and costumes are very drab and dreary, I much prefer the Gothic feel. Another big problem is the sound balance. You can just about hear the orchestra through the various infrequencies but the voices all too often sound very distant. All in all, has some good moments but its many problems make its viewing better as a curiosity in alternative to a must see/buy, which is a shame considering its potential. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I enjoyed this performance from Opera National de Lyon for the sets, costumes, orchestral playing and for some of the singing, notably Jose van Dam as Golaud and Francois Le Roux as Pelleas. I compared it with the 2009 Theater an der Wien production, and found it wanting in many ways. The singing in the Vienna set is just so much more committed--just listen to Natalie Dessay singing Melisande with her whole heart in the role, then turn to Colette Alliot-Lugaz's tepid performance in the Lyon set and you have all the reason you need not to buy this DVD.

This is not a bad production so much as it is not an inspired one, and in Debussy with its intimate tone that is unfortunate.