In 1902, the year of its premiere, Claude Debussy wrote: "The drama of Pelleas which, despite its dream-like atmosphere, contains far more humanity than those so-called 'real-life documents', seemed to suit my intentions admirably. In it there is an evocative language whose sensitivity could be extended into music and into the orchestral backcloth."
On Monday 7 August, our Patron, Opera Australia singer John Pringle, guided us through Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande, examining its context and the story of the opera, using exclusively French singers from the Dawn of Recording to full opera recordings of recent times. He also appeared in the Opera Australia production of this opera with Yvonne Kenny.
