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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
On paper, this recording is not necessarily promising. Neither Claudio Abbado nor the Vienna Philharmonic is noted for Debussy, and the enigmatic sense of restraint required by the role of Mélisande would not seem right for the hyperdramatic Maria Ewing. Nonetheless, this is among the best modern recordings available. The mysterious story of two lovers with questionable pasts drawn to each other with equal parts telepathy and sexuality is interpreted by Abbado with great confidence and rhythmic animation. Ewing channels her dramatic sense into a performance of great intensity and specificity, but in keeping with the opera's dreamy atmosphere. Other singers are old hands at their roles, with François Le Roux as Pelléas and Jose van Dam as Golaud. And in a bit of luxurious casting, Christa Ludwig sings the brief role of Genevieve with the French language bringing out a softness in her voice that's welcome to anyone who has spent decades hearing her sing in German. --David Patrick Stearns
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Really good, but...,
By A Customer
This review is from: Debussy - Pelléas et Mélisande / M. Ewing · Le Roux · van Dam · Courtis · Ludwig · Wiener Phil. · Abbado (Audio CD)
If Boulez's laserdisc account (DG) didn't exist, I would probably say that Abbado's is the best account that I've heard. It is certainly very, very good -- lots of atmosphere and passion, and absolutely gorgeous playing from the Vienna Philharmonic. However, there are a lot of things Abbado does that does not necessarily benefit the music -- the syncopated chords (depicting the dying Melisande's faltering breath) in the beginning of Act V are smoothed over so that one hears them only as long sustained chords. A lot of orchestrational detail is lost in Abbado's generally "fat" conducting. And the recording has a little bit too much reverb (which doesn't help the already not-too-clear performance). The cast is quite divine -- Le Roux is a little bit too nasal sounding to me, but I quickly got used to him. Ewing's tone is just a tad bit too rich for my taste. I prefer Boulez's cast -- he has a more pure-toned Melisande (Alison Hagley) and a better characterized Pelleas (Neill Archer). And, of course, Boulez's clarity is the very opposite of Abbado's murk. Alas, I believe Boulez's performance (the one on laserdisc) is out of print. I don't like Boulez's first version (Sony) -- it's not as clear, and the cast is not at all good. If you really want a Pelleas now, you could do worse than purchasing this set (Karajan's recording is even more fat than this, and is to be avoided!). I hope DG decides to re-release Boulez's recording on CD. I love this opera a lot, but I must say that, despite Abbado's fine performance, I would still not purchase this set simply because I know that there are too many things in this incomparable score that Abbado misses.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ephemeral raindrops in the forest,
By dv_forever (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Debussy - Pelléas et Mélisande / M. Ewing · Le Roux · van Dam · Courtis · Ludwig · Wiener Phil. · Abbado (Audio CD)
This is a heavenly piece of music and deserves the most committed performance. I believe it to be Debussy's greatest masterpiece. You would think that a more French sound would be the most appropriate but when one has the Vienna Philharmonic at his command, why accept any lesser substitutes? I think this is one of Abbado's greatest recorded accomplishments. Abbado has never been very apt at German repertoire. But his adventures into French and Russian music yielded many rewards.This performance is a perfect middle ground between the cool modern approach of Boulez and the luxurious high-romanticism of Karajan. But that's not to say that Abbado is simply a middle ground, he is inspired in his own way and his cast of singers is among the strongest in the last several decades. The playing of the Vienna Philharmonic is as good as it gets while DG gives the perfect aural backdrop to the proceedings. One of Abbado's strongest recordings and a must for lovers of Pelleas and Melisande.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning "Pelleas", performance, recording,
By jt52 "jt52" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Debussy - Pelléas et Mélisande / M. Ewing · Le Roux · van Dam · Courtis · Ludwig · Wiener Phil. · Abbado (Audio CD)
I approached this Claudio Abbado-led performance of Claude Debussy's only opera "Pelleas et Melisande" prejudiced by certain negative comments about the singing. Happily, I thought the singing was for the most part excellent and it is strengthened by some truly great orchestral playing and sound that is miraculous (audiophile alert - you will want to hear this disc even if you don't like Pelleas or Debussy or whatever - trust me). In short, this is simply a great recording of a work that is difficult for performers and listeners alike."Pelleas et Melisande" is a difficult opera because Debussy uses little repetition and few obvious melodic hooks. There are "leitmotifs" (to summarize, short melodic capsules often associated with events, characters or ideas) but they rise to prominence briefly and then are buried in the texture when they return. It takes place in a magic garden, a neurasthenic princess at the center of a romantic triangle. The final scene, a slipping off into the abyss, is an astounding conception that is unique and is performed just beautifully by Abbado and his orchestra. Each of the three leads is in my opinion very good. The best of them is Jose van Dam as Golaud, who has never sounded better. Francois Le Roux is a strong Pelleas, with a light tenor. As Melisande, Maria Ewing takes a more dramatic approach, which emphasizes diction and drama rather than pure musicality. That said, she can be vocally very pure, for example in her deathbed scene in Act V (disc 2, track 16). The accompanying parts are weaker and are probably the only downside of this CD. Christa Ludwig, as Genevieve, is one of the great opera singers ever, but at age 54, she no longer had the vocal precision and range to shine. I also found bass Jean-Philippe Courtis to be inexpressive and unable to navigate the notes flexibly in the role of Arkel. But generally, the singing is strong. I have always been a fan of Claudio Abbado's approach to Debussy and Ravel but this is a new highlight for the esteemed conductor in this repertory. You wouldn't think the Vienna Philharmonic could play this repertory well, but they play with utmost delicacy and a pervasive beauty of tone. I'd describe this is velvety Debussy rather than precise Debussy. As I enthused above, the recording sonics are just remarkable, marking exceptional work by the DG engineers. I very, very much enjoyed this release.
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