Susanna Mälkki returns to the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence this summer to conduct Pelléas et Mélisande in Katie Mitchell’s acclaimed production, which first debuted to great acclaim at the festival in 2016. Mitchell’s interpretation of Claude Debussy’s symbolist opera is celebrated for its surreal quality, diving deep into the characters’ psychological complexities. It vividly portrays their inner turmoil and passions with an intimate yet disorienting intensity, creating an experience akin to navigating through a fragmented dreamscape.

The production features a stellar cast including Huw Montague Rendall as Pelléas, Chiara Skerath as Mélisande, Laurent Naouri as Golaud, Vincent Le Texier as Arkel, Lucile Richardot as Geneviève, and Emma Fekete as Yniold. Mälkki, who led the work in Paris last season, will guide the Orchestre de l’opéra de Lyon in this musical masterpiece, promising a compelling and unforgettable highlight of the festival.

Performances are scheduled for July 6, 9, 12,  and 17.

Photo: David Ruano