3 minute read
Mysterious Beauty
BY DERRICK INOUYE, CONDUCTOR
Claude Debussy’s Pelléas & Mélisande is an enigmatic, impressionistic tale. Its characters wander in the mists of a neverending dream set to shimmering hypnotic music that serves as a reflection of its opaque world. The story takes place in the imaginary kingdom of Allemonde, where Mélisande, a fragile and mysterious creature, wanders lost in the forest. While hunting one day, Prince Golaud discovers her and marries her before learning anything about her mysterious past. When he introduces her to his half brother Pelléas, a secret bond forms between the two—but is it love?
DMMO’s new production is directed by Chas Rader-Shieber with scenic design by Andrew Boyce (The Queen of Spades, 2021) and costumes by Jacob A. Climer. It is a work often found at the top of wish lists for singers, designers and especially conductors for the interpretative possibilities its unique qualities offer. Maestro Derrick Inouye, who has conducted the piece at the Metropolitan Opera, makes his debut with DMMO this summer. Below he reflects on what appeals to him about the work.
Debussy was very discerning when it came to finding a story and storyteller for an opera that would match his style of music. In Maurice Maeterlinck he found a kindred soul, for in his play “Pelléas et Mélisande” Maeterlinck’s aesthetic could be described as “what is left unsaid may reveal more than what is said.” That aesthetic beautifully matches Debussy’s musical language and his sense of theatre, for in his pursuit of impressionistic color and dream-like soundscapes his approach to storytelling is far from the in-your-face drama and spectacle of the verismo composers like Puccini. This requires us as listeners to adjust our approach to this mode of storytelling. Because nothing is handed to us on a silver platter, we have to discern “what is left unsaid.” Debussy’s music sounds incredibly lush and haunting, but there is an underlying, almost unseen tension that builds the drama in place of the usual grandiosity or rhythmical frenzy that other composers might use.
Just like the art of Monet which paints light suggesting the impressions of landscapes, Debussy’s musical soundscapes evoke feelings and atmospheres that lift you through the story of Pelléas & Mélisande in a way that no other composer could. His use of orchestral color and elusive harmony can seem almost sensual at one moment and inspire time-suspending awe at another. It makes us feel with deep compassion the humanity of the characters in the story. Debussy’s opera is a masterpiece of haunting beauty, and the immersion in his storytelling can be a profound experience.
