Photo Journal:
Not Your Father's Pelléas

By Matthew Westphal
May 11, 2007

"Powerhouse" seems an odd word to use about Pelléas et Mélisande, probably the most oblique opera in the entire standard repertory.

But look at the collection of talent the Royal Opera House has put together for its new production: Simon Rattle is on the podium; a riveting pair of performers, Simon Keenlyside and Angelika Kirchschlager, play the doomed lovers, with the equally compelling singer/actor Gerald Finley as Golaud, Mélisande's husband and Pelléas's half-brother. The word "powerhouse" can't help but come to mind.

But then, this is not your usual Pelléas. Stanislas Nordey's production, with sets by Emmanuel Clolus, is far, far away from the shadowy quasi-medieval fairy-tale kingdom typically seen in Debussy's mysterious opera. Nor is this staging anything like the closed-in upper-middle-class family home some directors (such as Peter Sellars or Jean-Philippe Clarac) have favored. Just have a look at the photos below ...

Pelléas et Mélisande receives six performances from tonight through May 23 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London. More information is available at www.royaloperahouse.org.

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All photos below by Clive Barda for the Royal Opera House.