A major cultural moment unfolds at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo as Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande returns to the Salle Garnier for four exceptional performances…
Absent from the Monegasque stage for several years, this landmark work of French opera, first premiered in Paris in 1902, remains a turning point in musical history, celebrated for its atmospheric subtlety and emotional depth.
This new production brings together a distinguished cast, including Léa Desandre in the title role of Mélisande, marking her debut at the Salle Garnier. A role renowned for its delicacy and psychological nuance, Mélisande is one many sopranos dream of performing. Debussy’s score, with its luminous orchestration and expressive silences, heightens the mystery of Maeterlinck’s symbolist drama, where characters move through shadows, unspoken tensions and fragile revelations.
The staging embraces this interplay between light and darkness, crafting a visual world poised on a knife-edge between clarity and obscurity. Costumes and lighting echo the opera’s introspective tone, guiding audiences through a landscape of emotional undercurrents rather than overt drama.
On the podium, Kazuki Yamada leads the orchestra in what marks the final production of his tenure as artistic director. A respected interpreter of French repertoire, he brings the transparency and finesse essential to Debussy’s sound world.
For those unable to secure tickets, the dress rehearsal, open to the public, offered a rare preview of this poetic masterpiece, which runs at the Salle Garnier until February 28.
Image: Monaco Info