Review
In 1898, the celebrated actress Mrs. Patrick Campell commissioned incidental music from
Gabriel Fauré for a London production, in English, of
Pelléas et Mélisande . Fauré composed this music between May 16 and June 5, 1898, and conducted it in the
Prince of Wales Theatre at London on June 21. Fauré asked
Charles Koechlin to orchestrate 17 cues (including a borrowed Sicilienne from 1893). After London, Fauré himself re-scored three of them as a concert suite, adding the Sicilienne a decade later. It is his masterpiece for orchestra -- tasteful, sweetly charming, expressively "proper" and basically chaste, as befits a play that depends on mood for its effect rather than on events.
The "Prélude" depicts the forest in which Golaud discovers fragile, amnesiac Mélisande. Beginning in G major, Quasi adagio, until Golaud's hunting horn approaches, it returns to G for a quiet close. "La fileuse" is the music before Act III, depicting Mélisande at her spinning wheel with Pelléas in rapt attendance -- same key and 3/4 time as the "Prélude." The tempo is Andantino quasi allegretto for its oboe and horn solos amid gently whirring strings. Sicilienne, from Act II of the play, is Fauré's portrait of Mélisande, no matter that he borrowed and re-scored it for solo flute, harp, and strings. The tempo is slightly quicker (Allegretto molto moderato), the key B flat major, the rhythm 6/8. "La mort de Mélisande" accompanied her cortège in Act V -- muted, poignant music marked Molto adagio that was played at Fauré's funeral in 1924. ~ Roger Dettmer, All Music Guide
Albums with Complete Performances of the Work
A Balanchine Album 1992
Barbirolli conducts French Music 1995
Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Été; Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande 1985
Brahms: Symphony No. 1; Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé Suite No. 2 [DVD Video] 2007
Chausson: Poème de l'amour et la mere, Op. 19; Faure: Pelléas et Melisande Suite, Op. 18 1991
Chausson: Symphonie 1992
Chausson: Symphony in B flat Major, Op. 20; Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 80 1990
Dukas: Symphony In C Major/Fauré: Pelléas Et Mélisande 1991
Faure: Pavane Op50; Pelléas et Mélisande, suite for orchestra Op80
Faure: Pelléas et Mélisande, suite for orchestra Op80
Faure: Pelléas et Mélisande, suite for orchestra Op80; Berceuse in D
Faure: Pelléas et Mélisande; Après Un Rêve; Pavane; Elégie; Dolly 1987
Fauré: Orchestral Music 1998
Fauré: Orchestral Works and Incidental Music 2001
Fauré: Orchestral Works; Incidental Music 2001
Fauré: Pelléas et Melisande; Masques et Bergamasque; D'Indy: Souvenirs 2002
Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande Suite; Schoenberg: Pelléas und Mélisande 2008
Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande; Pavane; Fantasie 2007
Fauré: Requiem 1996
Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48; Pelléas et Mélisande, Suite, Op. 80; Pavane, Op. 50 1988
Fauré: Requiem; Orchestral Music 2000
Fauré: Requiem; Pavane; Pelléas et Mélisande 2001
Fauré: Shylock; Pelléas et Mélisande; Cantique de Jean Racine; Requiem 2002
Fauré: Violin Concerto 1989
Franck: Symphony in D minor; Fauré: Pelléas et Melisande 1998
Franck: Symphony in Dm; Faure: Pelléas et Mélisande, suite for orchestra Op80
French Orchestral Selections 1994
French Éclat in the Roanoke Valley
Gabriel Faure: Pelleas Et Melisande, Op. 80/Requiem, Op. 48 1992
Gabriel Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande; Valses-caprices; Mazurka; Pavane 1999
Gabriel Fauré: Requiem; Pelléas et Mélisande; Three Mélodies; Pavane 2002
Gabriel Fauré: Requiem; Péllas et Mélìsande; Three Mélodies; Pavane
Jacques Ibert: Divertissement; Escales; Gabriel Fauré: Pavane; Pelléas et Mélisande 1996
Koussevitzky conducts Hanson Symphony No. 3 1996
Musique Française 1989
Musique française 1993
Panorama: Gabriel Fauré 2001
Pavane: Ravel/Satie/Fauré
Pelléas et Mélisande 1990
Pelléas et Mélisande
Romantic Classics [1] 2008
Romantic Classics [Madacy] 2008
Tour de France Musicale [Hybrid SACD] 2005
Tribute to Charles Munch (Box Set) 1998
Un Hommage a Charles Munch
Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 6 1991
A Balanchine Album 1992
A French Romance 2000
Adagios Sérénades pour flute de pan
Air: Works for Recorder and Guitar 1997
Autumn Tears 2000
Baba Yaga 1999
Be Mine: The Ultimate Romance Album 2005
Bedroom Adagios 2003
Cello Romance 1996
Clair de Lune: Music of France 1992
Clair de lune 1998
Classic Branford Marsalis 2008
Classic Saxophone, Vol. 2 1998
Classical Calm 2000
Classical Chill 2008
Classical Heartache 2004
Classical Naptime 2008
Classical Rockies 2000
Classical Top 1000 [Box Set]
Classics for All Seasons (Box Set)
Classics for All Seasons: Winter 1992
Classics for Pilates 2004
De Peyer Delights, Collection 2 1998
Denon 24/7: 1 2002
Dinner Classics: The French Album 1989
Family Circle: Romantic Classics 1999
Fauré: The Complete Songs, Vol. 4: Dans un parfum de roses 2005
Feel Good Classics 2006
Flute Adagios 2009
Flute Passion 2003
Flute: Greatest Hits 1989
Flöte und Harfe
For April Showers
For Book Lovers Only 2003
For a Day in Your Life 2002
For a Quiet Evening 2003
For a Summer Evening 2002
For a Sunday Morning 2002
For the Hopeless Romantic 2005
Franck, Fauré: Works for Cello & Piano 1995
French Festival 1988
Gloria: Classical Music for Reflection and Meditation 1999
Guitar Adagios 2004
HGTV: Quiet Places 2006
HGTV: The Art of Living [Box Set] 2006
Impressions 1991
Impressions: French Music for Flute, Harp & String Trio
In Classical Mood: Expressions of Love
Intermezzo 2000
Jan Cole Plays The Canrival of Venice and Other Works for Flute and Piano 2008
Just Classics 2008
Klassiska Mästerverk, Vol. 3 1992
Koussevitzky: Maestro Risoluto (Box Set)
Koussevitzky: Maestro Risoluto, Disc 2 2001
La Belle France
Le Quintette Moraguès Fait la Fête: 20 Ans de Concerts, 20 Ans de Bis 2000
Let's Do French 1995
Mad About Love 1995
More Classics for Yoga: Meditative Melodies for Relaxation 2005
Music for Lovers [Unison] 1999
Music for Lovers, Vol. 3 1987
Music for My Little Friends 2002
Music of the Zodiac: Libra 1996
Night In Paris 2001
Night in Paris [Video DVD]
Nocturne: Music for a Romantic Evening 1990
Philippe Gaubert
Romantic Flute 1996
Romantic Harp II 1997
Romeo & Juliet Music for The World's Greatest Lovers 1994
Secrets & Seductions [DVD Audio]
Sentimental Favorites (25) 1996
Serenity Now 2004
Stay in Tune with PentaTone [Hybrid SACD] 2005
Symphony Hall Centennial Celebration [Box Set] 2001
The Best of Fauré 1997
The Fauré Album 2003
The Flight of the Bumblebee: Spring Music 2001
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair 2001
The Very Best of Relaxing Classics 2003
The World Of Fauré 1999
Top 100: Favourite Classical Melodies [Box Set]
Top 100: Favourite Classical Melodies, CD 1
Twilight 2001
Ultimate Relaxation Album IV 2003
Ultimate Relaxation Album, Vol. 3 2002
Ultimate Relaxation Collection 2003
Vocalise 2005
