Pelléas et Mélisande at Opéra Bastille

Directed by Wajdi Mouawad
Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande at the Opéra Bastille in Paris in 2024, Opera
Opéra Bastille

Until March 27, 2025

French surtitled in English (See the page)
Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande at the Opéra Bastille in Paris in 2024, Opera
Pelléas et Mélisande at Opéra Bastille
Book now From 182€/person

Location

Opéra Bastille
Place de la Bastille, 75012 Paris
Capacity 2700 seats

Duration

3 h 05 min

With intermission


Details

Opera

For all audiences

In French with French and English surtitles


HIGHLIGHTS: PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE

If you’re a fan of love triangles, then you’re in the right place…!  A mysterious girl and two brothers, one a hunter, the other a sentimentalist, make up the participants of this complicated romance.

 

Pelléas et Mélisande, a lyric drama in five acts and twelve tableaux by the famous French composer Claude Debussy, will be performed at the Opéra Bastille in March 2025. Much can be said about this captivating opera — Maeterlinck's poetic language and Debussy's evocative music lend it an enchanting, mysterious aura like no other, rendering this opera a true masterpiece of lyrical music.

 

The dialogue is often left up to suggestion, leaving plenty of room for interpretation and ambiguity, through which the audience becomes an active participant in the story. Debussy highlights universal themes such as forbidden passion, betrayal, jealousy, and the idea of fate through this scintillating work. Allegory triumphs, as even the kingdom in which the action takes place is a character in its own right, imbued with a dark, oppressive atmosphere.

 

A complex and spellbinding work, Pelléas et Mélisande will be performed by top-class singers such as Huw Montague Rendall, Jean Teitgen, the French soprano Sabine Devieilhe, and Sophie Koch. With Pelléas et Mélisande, the great Lebanese-Quebecois director Wajdi Mouawad signs his second staging at the Paris Opéra. He is sure to plunge you into the twists and turns of love, desire, and destiny.

 

Let yourself be swept away by the fascinating music of Claude Debussy, which perfectly complements this exquisite story!

PREMIUM OPTION AND EXPERIENCE at Opéra Bastille

Looking for more than a standard ticket to the show? To make your experience an unforgettable one, you will be able to choose this following upgraded offer at the time of booking:

 

Champagne + Programme + Exclusive Access to Salon Berlioz + Show
Indulge in the premium opera experience! Elevate your evening with our exclusive package, available even after standard ticket sales have closed. With this premium option, relish a glass of champagne, receive a show program, and enjoy privileged access to the Opéra Bastille's Salon Berlioz — an intimate space reserved for our premium guests.

 

Please note, this special package is exclusively offered through the Theatre in Paris box office, thanks to our official partnership with the Friends of Paris Opera Association. Don't miss the chance to make your opera night truly exceptional.

SYNOPSIS OF PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE

In Pelléas et Mélisande, a provoking plot is produced. In a kingdom by the sea live two half-brothers, Golaud, a great hunter, and Pelléas, a sentimental and seductive young man. One day, while hunting a deer, Golaud comes across an unknown young woman in the forest. She is our heroine, Mélisande. Enraptured by her beauty and whims, he marries her… and from here the drama begins.

 

As is the custom of these tragically-destined operas, confrontation arises when Pelléas falls in love with his brother’s new bride. Several scenes show the joys of this love, the most famous of which is the one in which Mélisande, at the top of a tower, lets her long hair fall into Pelléas' hands. Growing suspicious, Golaud has his son Yniold keep an eye on the two protagonists. Ultimately, Pelléas is killed in a fit of jealousy.
Filled with remorse, and still guided by a hideous jealousy, Golaud wants to know if the two heroes have sinned, while Mélisande slowly fades away.

 

Alongside an intriguing plot, Debussy's music will draw you into a world steeped in mystery wherein the unspoken dominates and uncertainty reigns supreme. Stop by the Opéra Bastille to discover or else rediscover this opera: a true masterpiece of 20th-century music, and a polarising piece that caused a scandal when it was first performed at the Opéra Comique in 1902. True art should provoke and disrupt!

 

Nowadays, gone are the heckles in the auditorium, replaced by the marvellous, moving, ethereal music of Claude Debussy, and universal acclaim. Discover this piece for yourself!

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Opéra Bastille

Place de la Bastille, 75012 Paris

History and Fun Facts about the Opéra Bastille


Designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, the building was commissioned by French President François Mitterrand and inaugurated in 1989. For years, many had lamented the lack of a modern venue in Paris capable of welcoming modern concerts and performances with different acoustic approaches, and the flexibility that a modulable venue lends. A movement started in the 1960s called for a larger new venue in Paris that would appeal to the masses, a modern compliment to the elaborate Palais Garnier. Just over 100 years after the inauguration of the Palais Garnier, the demands finally won over the newly-elected President Mitterrand, who supported the project as the headliner among many modern works launched during his term. Selecting the popular Bastille neighbourhood for its ease of accessibility from Paris and the surrounding areas, the old Bastille Train Station was destroyed to make way for the construction of the new venue. The building was completed just in time for the bicentenary of the French Revolution.  

 

The venue has undergone many changes in direction resulting from varying political affiliations, and has undergone major renovations since its construction to repair and to soundproof the entire structure. Unlike other auditorium designs, each and every seat at the Opéra Bastille guarantees an unrestricted view of the stage. With its white glass ceiling, crisp gray compliments, and black seating adorned with rich oak, the venue is an ode to modernity and simplistic design. From the exterior, made of blue granite from Brittany and blocks of glass, light is reflected from every corner of this angular venue.


Fast facts
Capacity: 2,745
Handicap Accessible: Yes – in order to guarantee access to specific locations, we ask that you make your reservation at least 15 days before the performance.
Air conditioning: Yes
Heating: Yes
Coat Check: Yes (free service)

opera-bastille©plan de salle
opera-bastille-©Rafal-Milach-OdP
opera-bastille-backstage-interior©patrick-tourneboeuf
opera-bastille-grande-salle--interior©patrick-tourneboeuf
opera-bastille©david-mark-pixabay-exterior

FAQ

How do I get to Opéra Bastille in the 12th arrondissement of Paris ?

The Opéra Bastille is accessible by:
Metro: Line 1 (station Bastille), line 5 (station Bastille), line 8 (station Bastille)
RER: Line A (station Gare de Lyon)
Address: 120 rue de Lyon, 75012 Paris
In case of difficulty, our hotline can be reached during our business hours. Please see the footer of this page for our contact details.

What do I do when I get to Opéra Bastille?

We invite you to arrive 45 minutes before the beginning of Pelléas et Mélisande, and present your voucher at the front desk. Opéra Bastille’s English-speaking staff members will guide you to your seats.
The concert hall’s doors close 15 minutes after the start of the performance and reopen at intermission if the performance includes one.
If you arrive within 15 minutes after the start of the performance, you will not be allowed to enter the opera house and will be directed to an area with a television where you can watch the first part of the show. You will be able to return to your seats during the intermission if the performance includes one.

How long does the opera, Pelléas et Mélisande, last?

The opera Pelléas et Mélisande at Opéra Bastille lasts approximately 3 hours and 5 minutes, with intermission.

Is Pelléas et Mélisande for an international audience or French speakers?

Both! The Opéra Bastille has been welcoming audiences from all over the world for many years. The opera, Pelléas et Mélisande, is sung in its original French version. Surtitles are provided in both French and English so that international audiences can appreciate this opera in this incredible Parisian venue.

Where will I be seated, and will I see the surtitles* properly?

At Opéra Bastille, each category provides a comfortable view of the surtitles. The surtitles are projected above and on the sides of the stage. Our Premium tickets offer the best view of the stage and surtitles.
*Surtitles (also called supertitles) are the theatre equivalent of subtitles. That’s because in French “sur” means “above”.

Is there a dress code at Opéra Bastille?

There is no specific dress code at Opéra Bastille, but proper attire is appreciated. Feel free to dress to impress and reflect the fabulous contemporary architecture at Opéra Bastille!

Can I choose my seat when booking?

No, unfortunately it is not possible to choose your seat when booking for Pelléas et Mélisande. However, you can choose the category and we will allocate you the best seats in the chosen category!
Please note that tickets of the same category that are booked during the same purchase session, in the same booking order on our website are always assigned side by side. To be sure of this, make sure all of your tickets are in the same category and are included in your shopping cart at the time of purchase.
If there are no available adjacent seating arrangements, our customer service team will contact you before the booking is confirmed.

 

At the Paris Opera, the seats are assigned in odd numbers or even numbers. Therefore, if your tickets are consecutive odd numbers or even numbers (For example: 1, 3, 5,...), they will be adjacent.

 

You can find the seating plan in the theatre’s "photo" section on this page.

What is included with my premium ticket at Opéra Bastille?

The Premium tickets are our most exclusive package and include seating in category Optima, the best category in the house, a programme of the show, a glass of champagne, and exclusive access to the magnificent Salon Berlioz.

 

Your programme: At the Opéra Bastille, you may pick your programme in the main shop as well as at the programme stands located at the main entrance, on the 2nd and 4th floors.
Your glass of champagne: You can choose to enjoy your glass of champagne before the performance or during intermission. Champagne will be available at public bars or in the exclusive Salon Berlioz. The Salon is located on the 1st floor, at the right of the entrance to the Opéra Bastille. It is accessible by elevator or by stairs.

I bought premium tickets for Falstaff and I haven’t received them yet. Is this normal?

Yes, it’s completely normal! As the premium tickets for Pelléas et Mélisande include exclusive add-ons, your order will first be created as a pre-booking so the Paris Opera can assign your seats and prepare your exclusive package.
You may see a pre-charge on your card but you can rest assured that we will not charge your card until the booking is validated by the Paris Opera. After the tickets are confirmed, you will receive your tickets by email.
Given the large number of requests the Paris Opera has to manage, this process usually takes two business days but can take up to six days maximum. After six days if your order has not been validated, it will be cancelled, the pre-charge will disappear, and you will not be charged.