“The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is spending the month of May performing a series of programs under the umbrella title ‘French Reveries & Passions Festival,’ all led by guest conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen,” writes Hedy Weiss in Tuesday’s (5/12) Chicago Sun-Times. “Perhaps the most challenging entry in the festival will be the sole U.S. performances (May 14, 16 and 19) of a concert version of Debussy’s only opera, ‘Pelléas et Mélisande.’ … The cast … includes baritone Stephane Degout (as Pelléas), mezzo-soprano Jenny Carlstadt (Mélisande), bass-baritone Sir Willard White (Golaud) and bass David Govertsen (Arkel). The concert will feature narration written by Gerard McBurney, creative director of the CSO’s popular Beyond the Score series. And creating the concerts’ visual landscape is Mike Tutaj, the masterful Chicago-based video projections designer. Serving as narrator will be Dianne Wiest, the Academy Award-winning actress…. ‘Maestro Salonen didn’t want applause between the acts in this opera,’ said McBurney, explaining the role of narration in the concert version. ‘This is a mystical piece, and he wanted to be sure that each act emerged from great quietness…. The English narration also is a way of turning a somewhat distancing concert hall into more of an intimate theater and sacred space.’ ”
Posted May 13, 2015
