Pelléas and Mélisande by Claude Debussy in the Monte Carlo Opera

Pelléas and Mélisande by Claude Debussy will be on stage of the Monte Carlo Opera on February 22, 24 (gala), 26 and 28, 2026.

Musical direction: Kazuki Yamada
Stage direction: Jean-Louis Grinda

Sunday, February 22, 2026 – 3 p.m.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 – 8 p.m. (Gala)
Thursday, February 26, 2026 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 28, 2026 – 8 p.m.

Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, the most iconic French opera of the 20th century, was first performed in Monaco in 1924. Its music is impressionistic: the vocal parts are written to reflect the natural dialogue in a sustained manner, while the orchestral score abounds with shimmering colors and nuances. The story is based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s eponymous play, a seminal work of Symbolist theater. It unfolds in an imaginary medieval world and contains the fundamental elements of myth and fairy tale: a dark castle and forest, a stern father and two brothers—one eager to please but unloved, the other sensitive and charming—a blonde princess of unknown origins who becomes the victim of sibling rivalry, and a deep well into which she first drops her crown, then her wedding ring. The events unfold before us as if in a dream, with the constant feeling that the important things are never truly said.

This new production from the Monte-Carlo Opera promises to be an exceptional collaboration, bringing together, among others, Jean-Louis Grinda, Kazuki Yamada, and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. Among a cast of leading singers, we are pleased to present the Monte-Carlo Opera debuts of Lea Desandre, Huw Montague Rendall, and Gerald Finley.