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And then the amorous and caressing quality of the music is sharply altered. There is a harsh and sinister muttering in the double-basses as Pelléas, startled by a distant sound, cries that they are closing the gates of the castle, and that they are shut out. The Golaud motive is recalled with sombre force in the strings as the rattle of the great chains is heard. "All the better!

He and Pelléas go out, and the scene shifts to the vaults in the depths under the castle, dank, unwholesome depths, that exhale an odor of death, where the darkness is "like poisoned slime." Golaud leads his brother through the vaults, which Pelléas had seen only once, long ago. "Here is the stagnant water of which I spoke; do you smell the death-odor?

"It seems to me that we keep too still in her room," says Arkël; "it is not a good sign; look how she sleeps how slowly. It is as if her soul were forever chilled." Golaud laments that he has killed her without cause. "They had kissed like little children and I I did it in spite of myself!" Mélisande wakes. She wishes to have the window open, that she may see the sunset.

"Down on your knees! On your knees before me! Ah! your long hair is of some use at last!" He throws her from side to side, holding her by her hair. "Right, left! Left, right! Absalom! Absalom! Forward! now back! To the ground! to the ground! Ha! ha! you see, I laugh already like an imbecile!" Arkël, running up, seeks to restrain him. Golaud affects a sudden and disdainful calmness.

As Golaud rushes upon them and strikes down Pelléas, the Fate theme is declaimed by four horns in unison over string tremolos; and, as he turns and silently pursues the fleeing Mélisande through the forest, his Vengeance theme brings the act, by a rapid crescendo, to a crashing close.

This is immediately followed by one of the most important themes in the opera, that which seems to typify the veiled and overshadowing destiny which is very close to the central thought of Maeterlinck's play. This latter theme, with the motive of Fate, underscores the earlier portions of the dialogue between Golaud and Mélisande.

As Golaud bends with Arkël over the unconscious figure of Mélisande where she lies stretched upon her bed, muted horns and 'cellos play a gentle variant of the Fate theme, followed by the Mélisande motive as Golaud exclaims that they had but "kissed like little children."

Mais Pelléas ne voudra pas..."; and do not forget the terrified cry which signals the discovery of the hidden Golaud in the park, "Il y a quelqu'un derrière nous!" In Monna Vanna her most magnificent vocal gesture rested on the single word Si in reply to Guido's "Tu ne reviendras pas?" Her performance of this work, however, offers many examples of just such instinctive intonations.

It is not the first time I have noticed that there might be something between you.... You are older than she; it will suffice to have said this to you. Avoid her as much as possible, though not too pointedly." The next scene passes before the castle. Golaud and his little son Yniold, the innocent playfellow of Mélisande and Pelléas, are together. Golaud questions him.

The characters are these: ARKËL, King of Allemonde PELLÉAS & GOLAUD, half-brothers, grandsons of ARKËL MÉLISANDE, an unknown princess; later the bride of GOLAUD LITTLE YNIOLD, Son of GOLAUD by a former marriage GENEVIÈVE, Mother of PELLÉAS and GOLAUD A PHYSICIAN Servants, Beggars, etc. The opening scene is in a forest, in an unknown land. It is autumn.