Romeo Castellucci's Debussy Opera at La Scala: A Visual Dream

Romeo Castellucci directed a new production of Claude Debussy's only completed opera, Pelléas et Mélisande, at Teatro alla Scala in Milan. The opera, premiered on April 30, 1902 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, is based on Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist drama. Castellucci, known for abstract and symbol-heavy work, adopted a restrained approach, aiming to penetrate Debussy's poetic universe rather than impose his own vision. The production features evocative imagery: a forest reflected upside down in emerald mist, a castle with oppressive gray and bronze panels, and interludes transformed into visual poems, such as a white veil undulating like the sea. Notable moments include Pelléas and Mélisande transforming into Pierrot, referencing Marcel Carné's film Les enfants du paradis. Musically, Maxime Pascal conducted a refined but not always sensual reading. The cast includes Bernard Richter as Pelléas, Sara Blanch as Mélisande, Simon Keenlyside as Golaud, John Relyea as Arkel, Marie-Nicole Lemieux as Geneviève, and Alessandro De Gaspari as Yniold. The production is seen as a return to trusting the work itself, allowing mystery to emerge from Debussy's music.