# Pelleas et Melisande recordings



## Glissando (Nov 25, 2011)

Hello,

I was wondering what people's favorite audiorecordings of Debussy's 'Pelleas et Melisande' are. I have heard good things about several versions but can't find too many user reviews on Amazon.


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## Kleinzeit (May 15, 2013)

Glissando said:


> Hello,
> 
> I was wondering what people's favorite audiorecordings of Debussy's 'Pelleas et Melisande' are. I have heard good things about several versions but can't find too many user reviews on Amazon.


*cough*









.................................................


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Three fave' of Debussy's P&M!









*Desire-Emile Ingelbrecht*/Testament









*Rafael Kubelik*/Orfeo









*Andre Cluytens*/Testament

All are excellent even is a bit old!

/ptr


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## Glissando (Nov 25, 2011)

Thanks! I hadn't heard of those recordings before. Will check them out.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

My favorite opera!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> My favorite opera!


Didn't you make a topic once witch one to buy or something?


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

I'll follow this thread. Long time ago, I would go and see the live performance repeatedly in my local theatre. The CDs were either unavailable or too expensive ? I don't remember. Those dark ages before the internet... The high point for me was the mother, the mezzosoprano, reading the letter somewhere at the beginning. I once even brought flowers for her, but in vain. The singer went home to eat her dinner and did not wait for the applause at the end. 

So let me know about the recordings, which do not neglect the mezzo


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


> Didn't you make a topic once witch one to buy or something?



I think so, it's a very interesting opera!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I think so, it's a very interesting opera!


You are right, going to spin it tomorrow .


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Jordan on Erato
Ansermet stereo


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I have Désormière and Karajan's EMI recording, which are no doubt polls apart as interpretations, but I do like them both. I did have the Boulez, but eventually got rid of it as I found it completely lacking in atmosphere. 

There are plenty of others that I have either tried or would like to. It's been quite a lucky opera on disc really. Contenders would include Ingelbrecht, Cluytens, Jordan, Ansermet, Baudo, Abbado and Haitink.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Tsaraslondon said:


> There are plenty of others that I have either tried or would like to. It's been quite a lucky opera on disc really. Contenders would include Ingelbrecht, Cluytens, Jordan, Ansermet, Baudo, Abbado and Haitink.


Those are all good - I don't think that there's a bad P&M recording (I wish that I could say the same about any Wagner opera). I'd suggest starting with one of the Ansermets - I much prefer the first, monaural one for its much better cast (I'm not a big George London fan, although Golaud was a good role for him). Another exceptional recording is Fournet's monaural recording, that was issued by Philips on CD, but may be hard to find. And the newish Rattle recording is also fine, although there isn't much French about the cast. There's also a Decca recording with Dutoit, but I don't remember much about it, except that it was sonically superb.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

wkasimer said:


> Those are all good - I don't think that there's a bad P&M recording (I wish that I could say the same about any Wagner opera). I'd suggest starting with one of the Ansermets - I much prefer the first, monaural one for its much better cast (I'm not a big George London fan, although Golaud was a good role for him). Another exceptional recording is Fournet's monaural recording, that was issued by Philips on CD, but may be hard to find. And the newish Rattle recording is also fine, although there isn't much French about the cast. There's also a Decca recording with Dutoit, but I don't remember much about it, except that it was sonically superb.


I like the stereo Ansermet. The recording is very good for its time; in fact it's very atmospheric. Dutoit and Rattle I'd forgotten about, but I've read good things about them. With there being so many good ones, it does make choice quite difficult.


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## Jan Arell (7 mo ago)

I like the Abbado. And the Karajan. I also have Rattle on bluray audio which means I can play the whole opera without changing discs.


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

Karajan is pretty mesmeric.


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## OffPitchNeb (Jun 6, 2016)

There are just too many good recordings of this opera! Désormière (1941) is a must-have, and I believe Pristine released a remastered version. My current favorite is probably Inghelbrecht (1951). The three principals (Maurane, Danco, Etcheverry) were as French as in those in Désormière, with Danco having a sweeter voice than Irene Joachim. Interestingly, the small role Geneviève was sung by the legendary Russian soprano Oda Slobodskaya. The audio remastering by Testament is very good.


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