Incidental music to Maeterlinck’s “Pelleas et Melisande” by Gabriel Faure and Jean Sibelius: A Comparative Analysis from a Conductor’s Perspective. By James H. Lee Submitted to the graduate degree program in Music and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. ________________________________ Chairperson Roberta Schwartz ________________________________ David Neely ________________________________ Paul Tucker ________________________________ Scott Murphy ________________________________ John Staniunas Date Defended: 4/4/2013 ii The Thesis Committee for James H. Lee certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: Incidental music to Maeterlinck’s “Pelleas et Melisande” by Gabriel Faure and Jean Sibelius: A Comparative Analysis from a Conductor’s Perspective. ________________________________ Chairperson Roberta Schwartz Date approved: 4/4/2013 iii ABSTRACT This study examines some of the historical and theoretical parallels that exist between Gabriel Fauré’s and Jean Sibelius’s settings of Maeterlinck’s Pelleas et Melisande. This includes a discussion of possible influences that the poet may have had on the composers and an analysis of the music. It will also discuss the source of each composer’s basic harmonic vocabulary and how this relates to the stylistic developments of the time. iv Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1 PLOT SYNOPSIS ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 THE SYMBOLIST MOVEMENT .................................................................................................................................. 4 Maeterlinck and Pelleas .................................................................................................................................... 6 CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT IN THE ARTS ........................................................................ 8 FAURÉ AND SIBELIUS ........................................................................................................................... 10 FAURÉ ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10 SIBELIUS ................................................................................................................................................................... 12 THE RELATIONSHIP OF FAURÉ AND SIBELIUS TO THE SYMBOLISTS ........................... 13 FAURÉ ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13 SIBELIUS ................................................................................................................................................................... 14 FAURE’S INCIDENTAL MUSIC FOR PELLEAS ET MELISANDE ............................................. 15 HARMONY ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 FORM ......................................................................................................................................................................... 19 MELODY .................................................................................................................................................................... 20 SIBELIUS’ INCIDENTAL MUSIC FOR PELLEAS ET MELISANDE, OP. 46 ........................... 21 AT THE CASTLE GATE ............................................................................................................................................ 22 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 VI. MELISANDE AT THE SPINNING-WHEEL ....................................................................................................... 28 VII. ENTR’ACTE ....................................................................................................................................................... 31 VIII. THE DEATH OF MELISANDE ....................................................................................................................... 35 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................. 37 v Musical Examples Example 1: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande no. 4 ("La mort de Melisande"), mm. 61-62. 16 Example 2: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande, no. 3 ("Sicilienne), mm. 83-86 .......................... 17 Example 3: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 ("Prelude"), mm. 86-88 ............................. 18 Example 4: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande no. 4 ("La mort de Melisande"), mm. 13-18. 18 Example 5: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 ("Prelude"), mm. 8-10. ............................... 19 Example 6: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande no. 4 ("La mort de Melisande"), mm. 20-24. 19 Example 7: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande no. 3 ("Sicilienne"), mm. 58-61. ........................ 20 Example 8: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 ("Prelude"), mm. 21-25. ............................ 21 Example 9: Fauré, Pelleas et Melisande no. 3 ("Sicilienne"), mm. 44-47. ........................ 21 Example 10: Sibelius, Pelleas et melisande no. 1("At the castle-gate"), mm. 18-21. .. 23 Example 11a: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1, ("At the castle-gate"), m. 29 .......... 23 Example 11b: Sibelius Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 (“At the castle-gate”), m. 35 ........... 23 Example 12: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1, mm. 19-21. .............................................. 24 Example 13a: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande, no. 1(“At the castle-gate”) m5.………....27 Example 13b: Sibelius Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 (“At the castle-gate”), m.29…….....27 Example 14a: Example 14a: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 (“At the castle-gate”) mm. 19-21………………………………………………………………………………………………………....28 Example 14b: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 (“At the castle-gate”), mm. 47-49 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………....28 Example 14c: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 (“At the castle-gate”), mm. 51-53 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………....28 vi Example 14d: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 1 (“At the castle-gate”), mm. 53-55 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…....28 Example 15: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 6 “Melisande at the Spinning-Wheel,” mm. 71-74 ........................................................................................................................................ 29 Example 16: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 6 (“Melisande at the Spinning- Wheel,”), no. 6, mm. 7-9……………………………………………………………………………………..29 Example 17a: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande ("Melisande at the Spinning Wheel"), m. 21 (E minor chord) ....................................................................................................................... 30 Example 17b: Sibelius Pelleas et Melisande (“Melisande at the Spinning-Wheel”), m. 25. (g minor chord) ...................................................................................................................... 30 Example 17c: Sibelius Pelleas et Melisande (“Melisande at the Spinning-Wheel”), m. 25. (g minor chord) ...................................................................................................................... 30 Example 18: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 7 ("Entra'cte"), m. 17…………..………..32 Example 19: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 7 ("Entrac'te"), mm. 35-40. .................. 33 Example 20a: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 7 ("Entr'acte"), mm. 3-4. ..................... 34 Example 20b: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande, no. 7 (“Entr’acte”), mm 49-54 ................. 34 Example 21a: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 7 ("Entr'acte"), mm. 35-37. ................ 34 Example 21b: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 7 (“Entr’acte”), mm.54-57 ……….…..34 Example 22a: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 8 ("The death of Melisande"), mm. 1- 3.. .......................................................................................................................................................... 35 Example 22b: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 8 (“The death of Melisande”), mm. 38-39…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………35 vii Example 22c: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 8 (“The death of Melisande”) mm. 50- 51… .................................................................................................................................................. ....35 Example 23: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 8 (“The death of Melisande”), mm. 21- 23…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…………36 Example 24: Sibelius, Pelleas et Melisande no. 8 (“The death of Melisande”), m. 7…36 1 Introduction The purpose of this study is to examine some of the historical and theoretical parallels that exist between Gabriel Fauré’s and Jean Sibelius’s settings of Maeterlinck’s Pelleas et Melisande. This includes a discussion of possible influences that the poet may have had on the composers and an analysis of the music. It will also discuss the source