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In the mystical kingdom of Allemonde, the widower Golaud, grandson of King Arkel, marries a mysterious girl found wandering in the forest, Mélisande. Golaud's mother, Geneviève, reads to Arkel a letter from Golaud to his half brother Pelléas, telling of his marriage. Arkel instructs Pelléas to give his acceptance to Golaud.
Mélisande accidentally drops her wedding ring into a fountain. Golaud, thrown from his horse at the moment the ring fell, is attended to by Mélisande. He notices that her ring is missing, and asks her to go with Pelléas to search for it. They go to the grotto where she told Golaud she lost the ring, and are frightened by three blind beggars.
Mélisande combs her long hair, allowing it to fall around Pelléas, who is under her window. Although they don't mention love, it is clear that they are getting attached to each other. In a castle vault, Golaud warns Pelléas to stay away from Mélisande. Later, he holds his son Yniold (from a previous marriage) up in order to spy on the young pair. The child reports that they sit in silence, but Golaud's jealousy does not abate.
Pelléas, having decided to leave the castle, arranges for a last meeting with Mélisande. The enraged Golaud finds them, and drags Mélisande away by her hair. Later, the couple meet by the fountain where Mélisande lost her ring, and it is there they confess their love for the first time. Golaud, who followed them, kills Pelléas.
Golaud, Arkel, and a Doctor attend to Mélisande, who is on her deathbed, having given birth to a child. Golaud is repentant, but still questions her about her love for Pelléas. The castle servants enter and fall on their knees as Mélisande dies without answering Golaud's question. First performance: Paris, Opéra Comique, April 30, 1902
First San Francisco Opera performance: October 19, 1938 |
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