Pelléas et Mélisandre (Only in boroughs)

Beyond Debussy’s operatic masterpiece, the play inspired composers such as Schoenberg, Sibelius, Bonis, and Fauré. Enthralled after attending a London performance, actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell sought to stage an English version with incidental music. She first approached Debussy, who declined as he was working on his opera, and then turned to Gabriel Fauré, who accepted despite a demanding schedule. He later extracted an orchestral suite, which premiered at the Concerts Lamoureux on February 3, 1901.

The Prélude, filled with melancholy and mystery, beautifully sets the opening scene: alone in the forest, Mélisande weeps as Golaud’s distant horn sounds, heralding their imminent encounter. La Fileuse features a delicate oboe melody over perpetually turning strings, evocative of a spinning wheel. The Sicilienne suggests a moment of happiness and innocence between Pelléas and Mélisande before tragedy unfolds. Dark and contemplative, La Mort de Mélisande is a slow, poignant funeral march that was performed at Fauré’s own funeral in 1924.