Customer Reviews (1)

Do we need this reissue?
This is an unexpected reissue. Even though in a talk delivered in 1935 Maeterlinck described 'Mary Magdalene' as 'the least bad of my plays', critics have uniformly panned it for a century. It excited interest on its first appearance because its most dramatic scenes were inspired by the play on the same subject by the contemporary German playwright Paul Heyse - with acknowledgement but without his consent - and the question of whether this constituted plagiarism was fiercely debated in Germany. Since then critics have uniformly condemned the piece as a play in which inspiration is replaced by contrivance. No one has found the representation of Mary Magdalene, whether of her initial immorality or her subsequent repentance, in the least convincing. The climax in the final act - where Mary has to decide whether to save Christ's life by giving herself to a lustful Roman officer - is mere melodrama. The one point of interest, in my view, is in the way in which Christ is made to dominate the action without ever appearing on stage: again and again, we hear of him from the excited comments of those on stage, while he himself remains out of sight. The play is indeed contrived, but the contrivance is that of a master dramatist. The translation by Teixeira de Mattos (who translated many of Maeterlinck's works) catches both the meaning and tone of the original with complete success. ... Read more

Product Description
Maurice Maeterlinck has been called the 'prodigal father' of modern theatre. As Rilke put it, he shifted theatre's center of gravity, replacing action with inaction, events with the eventless, and dialogue with an expressive semantics of silence. This study, the first in over a decade, traces the development of Maeterlinck's dramatic vision of extraordinary originality and depth. ... Read more

Product Description
Debussy's Mélisande examines the colourful lives of Georgette Leblanc, Mary Garden and Maggie Teyte, and their involvement with Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, illustrating the prejudices and difficulties women singers of their era faced. The three women presented here were not only remarkable for the resilience and initiative they had to develop, but also for their willingness to adapt themselves to the opportunities offered by the emerging technologies of recording, radio and film. It is also the story of the background to the opera's creation, and the frequently stormy relationships between the author of the original play (Maeterlinck), the composer, director, conductor and performers. This book will be of great interest to scholars and students of Debussy, opera, French music and theatre, Maeterlinck, and those interested in women's studies and biography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A gripping biography of these beloved Frenchwomen and the changes that their art form faced during their time
As times change, people must change with them or be left in the dust. "Debussy's Melisande: The Lives of Georgette Leblanc, Mary Garden, and Maggie Teyte" tells the story of these musical sweethearts of the early twentieth century. They were originally opera stars who were driven to make themselves some of the best of their time. With the advent of recorded music, radio, and moving pictures, they embraced the new technologies with much fervor, becoming beloved icons of theatre and art in France. "Debussy's Melisande" is a gripping biography of these beloved Frenchwomen and the changes that their art form faced during their time. ... Read more