Pelléas et Mélisande (Pelléas and Mélisande) is an opera in five acts with music by Claude Debussy. The French libretto was adapted from Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist play Pelléas et Mélisande. It was premiered at the Salle Favart in Paris by the Opéra-Comique on 30 April 1902 with Jean Périer as Pelléas and Mary Garden as Mélisande in a performance conducted by André Messager, who was instrumental in getting the Opéra-Comique to stage the work. The only opera Debussy ever completed, it is considered a landmark in 20th-century music.

Original Name Pelléas et Mélisande
Librettist Maurice Maeterlinck
Date of composition 1902 (1893-1902)
Premiered 1902, April 30th in Paris, France
Type Opera
Catalogue L. 88
Approx. duration 140 minutes
Spoken language French
Instruments Orchestra
Voice (Soprano) - Mélisande
Voice (Contralto) - Geneviève, mère de Golaud et Pelléas (mother of Golaud and Pelléas)
Voice (Bass) - Arkel, roi d'Allemonde (King of Allemonde)
Voice (Tenor) - Pelléas, petit-fils d'Arkel (grandson of Arkel)
Voice (Baritone) - Golaud, demi frère de Pelléas (grandson of Arkel)
Voice (Soprano) - Yniold, fils de Golaud, issu d'un premier mariage (the young son of Golaud)
Voice (Bass) - Un médecin (Doctor)
Voice (Bass) - Un berger (Shepherd)
Male Chorus - Offstage sailors
In listings Famous Works
Autotranslations beta Claude Debussy: Pelléas and Mélisande, L. 88
Claude Debussy: Pelléas and Mélisande, L. 88
Claude Debussy: Pelléas and Mélisande, L. 88