What's the Best Blu-ray of Debussy's landmark Pelléas et Mélisande opera? As of April 2020 we have four Blu-ray versions.
The best by far is the grade-A, monumental 2012 recording by the Alto-Theater Essen (Arthaus). It does an excellent job of handling the work's numerous set changes and orchestral interludes while aptly supporting the mysterious and dreamy atmosphere intended by Debussy.
An earlier, grade-B 2004 version from Opernhaus Zürich (published by both TDK and later Arthaus) augments Debussy's romantic symbolism with surreal details that are interesting but wearying.
Then we have a low budget production from 2016 by the Malmö Opera (grade B) that tries, with modest success, to do everything with 2 sets on the stage simultaneously throughout the show.
Finally, we have a disastrous 2016 effort (grade F+) by director Tcherniakov to do the whole opera in a single set showing the modern home of a psychiatrist (instead of a an ancient castle).
All of these Pelléas et Mélisande titles are older now. We updated all four reviews and posted them at the top of the journal. This pushed several fresh 2020 titles off the home page. In a few weeks we will take the Pelléas et Mélisande reports off the homepage as we get more information to pass on about 2020 titles. Thereafter you would reach the Pelléas et Mélisande stories via the Alphalist.