Debussy: Pelleas et Melisande

This live 1969 broadcast performance of Debussy’s operatic masterpiece, one of the seminal vocal works of the twentieth century, joins the Grand Tier catalogue with full documentation and a complete libretto newly translated. Real French singers in the three principal roles make a vast difference stylistically, and a major world conductor at the height of his fresh powers is a special bonus. Opera d’Oro presents Grand Tier, a deluxe edition of the most beloved Opera d’Oro performances, with original artwork by Rafal Olbinski and Opera d’Oro’s best remastered sound! Including a 72-page booklet with historic photos, a complete French libretto and new original English translation, and an essay on the performance by Robert Levine, this sweeping masterpiece stars authoritative French stars from opera’s golden era with Lorin Maazel at the helm. “This opera, mysterious, ethereal, indefinably beautiful, makes us feel deeply. The music – or the effect of the music (you may substitute ‘impression’ for ‘effect’) — washes over us, moves us and makes us wonder. Like the greatest of art, it stirs the soul and fills it with awe. Sonically handsome and featuring three of the major French-speaking singers of their generation in the three main roles, this recording and performance will work on your senses. Prepare them for an adventure.” — Robert Levine