DeBussys "Pelleas et Melisande" is certainly not the Opera one laughs when one sees. But Graham Vick succeeds to bring the Audience to laugh, and that also before the long Pause, in which, as in the Charicature of the Glyndebournevisitor, the Alcoholconsumtion great is in its Picknickway, to strengthen the lazy visitor, so he can hear the Rest Half of the Play. The Great Laugh comes in the Szene with Pelleas, who, when he tries to escape his forbidden Feelings for the Woman of his Halfbrother, want to take Farewell of her. The Libretto lets Melisande stand at a Window in a Tower, combing her long Hair. In Glyndebourne the Opera is playing in a greatbourgeoise Salon of the Fin de Siecle, with grandiose paintings on the walls, large Japanese Wases, Familyphotos on the Sofatable, and a winding Staircase. Melisandes Voice rings as coming from Nowhere. Suddenly her Shadow is to be seen in the Ceiling, and she comes up and her Hair sinks down on Pelleas. Grahan Vick goes from one Extreme to another: Last year he presented a costumless "Cosi fan Tutte", which lacked all Charm; his "Manon Lescaut" the year before was really, really dull. But the regisseur has obviously taken the Critic to his Heart; For "Pelleas et Melisande" he has got his Scenery from Paul Brown and it is opulent and goes in low Spirits and is surrealisticly connected with Reality...No shines of Light comes into the windowless Room. Neither Wood nor Sea is to be seen. There is - of course - no well, but water purls quietly down the winding Stair, in which Melisande looses her Weddingring. Under the transparent Glassground flowers are growing. Therebetween lies rotting Corpses. Maids in Aprons serve the Gentlemen. Pelleas and Golaud sits after the Supper, talking in the Night over a glas of Whisky. In House Allemonde is the Air so thick as in a Strindberg-Play. Everywhere is the "Unheil" to be feeled, evenso in the Music; The London Philarmonic Orchestra under Andrew Davis brings clear Sounds of Mahlerian Beauty. The Interpretation is clear and precise, although Davis follow the Score in a poetic way. The Mood is emphazised by the Lights, controlled by Thomas Websters. Many have interpreted this as the symbolic Bourgeoise Familydrama. In his Critics in "New York Herald Tribune" the American Composer Virgil Thomson 1944 described the Persons in DeBussys Opera as correct, wellfeeling Frenchmen with strong Passions, warm Hearts, and an intensive Familylife. And Pierre Boulez labelled it after the Maeterlinck Original: A Bourgeoise Tradgedy, a completely common Drama. Hence have many Regisseures, among them Jonathan Miller at Metropolitan, Cristoph Marthaler and Anna Viebrock in Frankfurt as well as Pierre Strosser in Lyon, choosed the Bourgeoise Scenery. Grahan Vick presents a disturbed Family in Freuds Manner. The willing to show comes out as bad. Even Golauds little Son Yniold is turned away by the Grandma, by whom he seeks comfort. Also the Idea to produce the Opera as Backflash, isn't new. Golaud sits in a Leatherchair and once again he lets the Murderstory go through his Head. On the Table behind him lays Melisande naked secred by a white Carpet. At the next Szene works the unreachable Spirit in its stiff eduardian Dress as a Bird in a Cage. Loved by Golaud and Pelleas and wished by the brotherinlawgrandfather Arkel, whom treats her with great passion, it is, like all oppress her. In the End Goland sits once again in the Chair. Beside him, in the same white Carpet lies the Corpse of his Wife. When he sings about his astraywalking in the Grove, this is free for all to interpret in their Way. All in all the Text and Regi work well together, most eclatantistic, where Goland forces the Son, to tell him what is going on between Pelleas and Melisande. Instead of bearing the Boy up so that he can look through the Window, he beats a Hole in the Glassground and sticks down the Sons Head there, so one fear he shall get Wounds from the Sharp Edges. John Tomlinsons wagnerian Baritone threats to oversound all the others. De spite the performance has certain Quaulities, although beside him Christiane Oelzes Melisande and Richard Crofts Pelleas sounds to quiet. The Evenings real Star is the 12 years old Jake Arditti, who as Yniold can see everything the People are doing, but is not able to understand them. Especially moving is the Szene with the Shepherd. The Shepherd want to go and slaughter his Sheeps, which are made by wood in the scenery. The Janitor wonders what the Shepherd wants, and he asks the little Boy. And he stomps on the Sheep with his foot, so it is destroyed. OK, Regifreedom is allowed, so far Vick succedes giving telling Pictures. His time as Prodcutionleader for the Festivals comes next Year to an End. Nicholas Snowman, who is the Intendant of the Festival since September 1998, will not replace him; he has other Plans for the following 10 years. Among them to realize the Dream the Festivalfounder John Christie once had; to perform Wagner in Sussex. For the Year 2003 stands "Tristan und Isolde" with Waleri Gergijew on the Program, and Nikolaus Lehnhoff will make the Regi. Gergiew is also angaged in the Glyndenbourne "Othello", and Simon Rattle, who will conduct "Fidelio" and "Idomeneo". Snowman is a passionate Lover of the Modern. He belongs to the Founders of the London Sinfonietta, and lead between 1972 and 1986 the by Boulez founded Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique in Paris Center Pompidou. His plans include much of the Modern and lesser known old. The following Season he will put up "The Last Supper" by Harrison Birtwistle, and Opera after Tony Kushners Aida-Play by Peter Oetvoes, as wella s new Compositions by Elliot Carter and Thomas Ades, also Works by Gluck and Monteverdi. But there will also be some more famous Pieces by Berlioz and Wagner with Mark Elder and The Orchestra of the Age of Entlightment. Additionally a Series of Operas of the German Romanticism, starting with Webers "Euryanthe", "Freischuetz" and Schumanns "Genoveva". Snowmanns Critics warn for scaring the Glyndebourne Audience off with difficult Works. How well he will proceed; the Future will show us, but clear is that, that a here starts a new Aera for Glyndebourne! Andreas von Doebeln [log in to unmask]