The Aldeburgh Festival opened this summer with a semi-staged production of Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, an opera based on Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist play. The performance, held at Snape Maltings in Suffolk, featured a stripped-back concert staging directed by Rory Kinnear and conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth, a featured artist of the festival. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performed on stage alongside the singers, adding a unique dynamic to the production.
A Minimalist Approach
The staging was intentionally sparse, with no props or scenery aside from industrial-style pendant lights and a single high stool. The orchestra itself served as a visual metaphor for the forest surrounding the castle, with characters navigating through the musicians. Costumes, designed by Vicki Mortimer, were understated: dark suits for the royal men, tattered bridal white for Mélisande, and drab boiler suits for the silent extras and offstage chorus.
Light as a Central Element
Lighting played a crucial role, with designers Paule Constable and Imogen Clarke creating a visual language of shadow and luminosity. Characters moved through spots and pools of light, or walked among the orchestra's music-stand lights. In a striking moment, Geneviève sang of the distant glint from the sea as the foyer light streamed in through an open door, while Pelléas entered singing from the aisle. The eventual kiss between Pelléas and Mélisande was illuminated by a blaze of side lights.
Musical Highlights
Wigglesworth led the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in a performance that was often glorious, particularly during the interludes. While the music sometimes lacked the ethereal quality of a traditional orchestra pit, it gained a solid, earthy presence. The singers benefited from the warm acoustic of Snape Maltings, with Nicolas Testé's cavernous Arkel, Sarah Connolly's luxuriant Geneviève, and Beth Stirling's chirpy Yniold standing out. Gordon Bintner's Golaud was velvet-wrapped yet forceful, while Jacques Imbrailo's Pelléas was heartfelt and generous.
Mélisande's Enigma
Sophie Bevan delivered a vocally shining performance as Mélisande, her soprano silvery and fluid. However, in the stripped-back context, the character had little to do beyond gazing inscrutably at the audience, appearing blank rather than mysterious. The semi-staging was ambitious and nearly succeeded, but Debussy's opera remained elusive.
The Aldeburgh Festival continues until June 28.
