Pelléas

Pelléas (Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande). Ten./high bar. Son of Geneviève, grandson of Arkel, and half-brother of Golaud. Golaud meets and marries Mélisande; she and Pelléas are attracted to each other. Golaud spies on them but can find nothing untoward in their relationship. Pelléas decides to leave the family castle. While he and Mélisande are saying a passionate goodbye, Golaud enters and in a fit of jealousy he kills Pelléas. Aria: Ah! Je respire enfin! (‘Ah! I can breathe at last!’). Created (1902) by Jean Périer.