Starter Packs

Complete your collection with these curated titles, grouped at a special discount.

Shop Now
Debussy & Schoenberg: Pelléas et Málisande / Nott, Orchestra of Suisse-Romande
PENTATONE

Debussy & Schoenberg: Pelléas et Málisande / Nott, Orchestra of Suisse-Romande

$24.99
$32.99 Save 25%

Details

Composer
DEBUSSY SCHOENBERG
Artist
Nott
Format
SACD
Label
PENTATONE
Released
Nov 12, 2021
Catalog #
PTC5186782
UPC
827949078262

About

This new OSR recording presents the two most ambitious musical responses to Maurice Maeterlinck’s 1893 epoch-making play Pelléas et Mélisande. Conductor Jonathan Nott has created a new suite of Debussy’s opera, which is much more extensive, and focuses more on the actual drama and symphonic development than existing suites that rely heavily on Debussy’s interludes. Schoenberg’s Pelléas und Melisande is often perceived as relatively “amorphous”, its narrative structure obscure, leaving concealed all but the most explicit references to the drama on which Schoenberg based it. In this recording, Jonathan Nott introduces a novel track division and analytical track titles that make the music’s relation to the story much more tangible to the listener. Programming it next to the music of Debussy’s opera allows us to compare both works, and to see how the most important innovators of turn-of-the-century music responded to this haunting, Symbolist story. The arrangement of Debussy’s music on this recording is the work of Jonathan Nott.

REVIEW:

For many listeners, conductor Jonathan Nott's new version of Debussy's work will be reason enough to check this album out. While his task was a difficult one, the results give a feel for the flow of the opera. But there's more. Nott has configured the track divisions and track titles of Schoenberg's single-movement Pelleas und Melisande in a novel way. In part, he seems to have relied on Alban Berg's analysis of the work as a combination of four-movement sonata form and the Wagnerian leitmotif technique, and the track titles, Nott's own, reflect this. One might debate what has been done in the cases of both Debussy and Schoenberg, but there's no debating the value of his effort; comparing the Debussy and the Schoenberg side by side is fascinating. Nott further emphasizes the direct comparison with his relatively straightforward performances of the two works, avoiding operatic gestures in the Debussy, and the venerable Swiss orchestra follows him well through unfamiliar interpretations. This is highly recommended for aficionados of the early 20th century.

-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)

Tracklist 35 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 Act I: A forest 01:36
    Track
    1
    Title
    Act I: A forest
    Duration
    01:36
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  3. 2 Act I: Golaud & Mélisande 05:30
    Track
    2
    Title
    Act I: Golaud & Mélisande
    Duration
    05:30
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  4. 3 Act I: A forest (interlude) 04:03
    Track
    3
    Title
    Act I: A forest (interlude)
    Duration
    04:03
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  5. 4 Act I: Pelléas - A room in the castle 00:32
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act I: Pelléas - A room in the castle
    Duration
    00:32
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  6. 5 Act I: Mélisande, Golaud, Pelléas 03:22
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act I: Mélisande, Golaud, Pelléas
    Duration
    03:22
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  7. 6 Act II: A well in the garden - Pelléas and Mélisande 03:30
    Track
    6
    Title
    Act II: A well in the garden - Pelléas and Mélisande
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  8. 7 Act II: Golaud, Mélisande 03:30
    Track
    7
    Title
    Act II: Golaud, Mélisande
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  9. 8 Act III: Mélisande, Pelléas - One of the castle's towers 04:27
    Track
    8
    Title
    Act III: Mélisande, Pelléas - One of the castle's towers
    Duration
    04:27
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  10. 9 Act III: Golaud appears 03:03
    Track
    9
    Title
    Act III: Golaud appears
    Duration
    03:03
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  11. 10 Act IV: A room in the castle - Golaud and Mélisande 05:54
    Track
    10
    Title
    Act IV: A room in the castle - Golaud and Mélisande
    Duration
    05:54
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  12. 11 Act IV: A well in the garden - Pelléas, Mélisande 02:13
    Track
    11
    Title
    Act IV: A well in the garden - Pelléas, Mélisande
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  13. 12 Act IV: Golaud appears; The death of Pelléas 01:41
    Track
    12
    Title
    Act IV: Golaud appears; The death of Pelléas
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  14. 13 Act V: A room in the castle 02:52
    Track
    13
    Title
    Act V: A room in the castle
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  15. 14 Act V: Castle maids appear 01:37
    Track
    14
    Title
    Act V: Castle maids appear
    Duration
    01:37
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  16. 15 Act V: The immutability of destiny 03:07
    Track
    15
    Title
    Act V: The immutability of destiny
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  17. Disc 2
  18. 1 Die Achtel ein wenig bewegt - Ein wenig bewegter - 04:17
    Track
    1
    Title
    Die Achtel ein wenig bewegt - Ein wenig bewegter -
    Duration
    04:17
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  19. 2 Heftig - Sehr warm, in breiter Bewegung - 03:29
    Track
    2
    Title
    Heftig - Sehr warm, in breiter Bewegung -
    Duration
    03:29
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  20. 3 Lebhaft - Wieder lebhaft - Etwas zurückhaltend - Langsamer - Wieder lebhafter - Langsamer - Ein wenig bewegter - Steigernd - 04:03
    Track
    3
    Title
    Lebhaft - Wieder lebhaft - Etwas zurückhaltend - Langsamer - Wieder lebhafter - Langsamer - Ein wenig bewegter - Steigernd -
    Duration
    04:03
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  21. 4 Sehr rasch - Wieder im Zeitmaß - 01:01
    Track
    4
    Title
    Sehr rasch - Wieder im Zeitmaß -
    Duration
    01:01
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  22. 5 [Rehearsal No. 22] - Langsam - 00:40
    Track
    5
    Title
    [Rehearsal No. 22] - Langsam -
    Duration
    00:40
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  23. 6 [Rehearsal No. 23] - Heftig - Wieder langsam - Heftig - 00:48
    Track
    6
    Title
    [Rehearsal No. 23] - Heftig - Wieder langsam - Heftig -
    Duration
    00:48
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  24. 7 [Pick up to 6 bars before Rehearsal No. 25] - 00:36
    Track
    7
    Title
    [Pick up to 6 bars before Rehearsal No. 25] -
    Duration
    00:36
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  25. 8 Sehr langsam - Nach und nach beschleunigen - 01:26
    Track
    8
    Title
    Sehr langsam - Nach und nach beschleunigen -
    Duration
    01:26
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  26. 9 Sehr rasch, heftig - Langsam - 00:45
    Track
    9
    Title
    Sehr rasch, heftig - Langsam -
    Duration
    00:45
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  27. 10 Sehr langsam, gedehnt 01:28
    Track
    10
    Title
    Sehr langsam, gedehnt
    Duration
    01:28
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  28. 11 Ein wenig bewegt - 01:14
    Track
    11
    Title
    Ein wenig bewegt -
    Duration
    01:14
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  29. 12 Langsam - 01:06
    Track
    12
    Title
    Langsam -
    Duration
    01:06
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  30. 13 Im Zeitmaß - Ein wenig bewegter - Breit - Nach und nach beschleunigend, steigernd - Breit - 02:20
    Track
    13
    Title
    Im Zeitmaß - Ein wenig bewegter - Breit - Nach und nach beschleunigend, steigernd - Breit -
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  31. 14 Ein wenig bewegter - Etwas bewegter - Sehr ausdrucksvoll, etwas breiter - Steigernd - Sehr breit - 02:52
    Track
    14
    Title
    Ein wenig bewegter - Etwas bewegter - Sehr ausdrucksvoll, etwas breiter - Steigernd - Sehr breit -
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  32. 15 Viel rascher, beschleunigend - Nach und nach langsamer - 00:57
    Track
    15
    Title
    Viel rascher, beschleunigend - Nach und nach langsamer -
    Duration
    00:57
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  33. 16 Sehr langsam - Etwas langsamer - Wieder wie vorher - Nach und nach etwas bewegter - Langsam - 04:37
    Track
    16
    Title
    Sehr langsam - Etwas langsamer - Wieder wie vorher - Nach und nach etwas bewegter - Langsam -
    Duration
    04:37
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  34. 17 Etwas bewegt - 00:31
    Track
    17
    Title
    Etwas bewegt -
    Duration
    00:31
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  35. 18 Etwas belebter - Etwas rascher - 01:46
    Track
    18
    Title
    Etwas belebter - Etwas rascher -
    Duration
    01:46
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  36. 19 In gehender Bewegung - 02:05
    Track
    19
    Title
    In gehender Bewegung -
    Duration
    02:05
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott
  37. 20 Breit - Langsam - Nach und nach wieder ins Tempo 05:58
    Track
    20
    Title
    Breit - Langsam - Nach und nach wieder ins Tempo
    Duration
    05:58
    Composer
    Arnold Schoenberg
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Jonathan Nott