Perfect production

There seems to have been some problem with the sites coding that makes reviews for Pelleas and Melisande appear under the wrong version of the opera! So be careful when reading the reviews! This review is for the Pierre Boulez version.

A small provincial Opera House asks a great conductor to put on his ideal production of the work which meant most to him. The result was a landmark in performance of this Opera that few were able to attend, but those that did were very privileged. The staging under Peter Stein is subtle and clever; It's realistic in the detail, acknowledging its 19th century foundations, yet set in a beautifully realised symbolic decor. The cast looks good and sounds good. Samuel Barkey as Yniold brings of the most challenging role for a child soprano in all of Opera. The only let down is that this is a transfer of a TV recording and the video quality is not of the best. The sound quality however is fine.