Absalon! Absalon!

[Donald Grove]

In Debussy's Pelleas, during the climactic scene where Golaud vents
his rage at Melisande, grabbing her hair and jerking her back and
forth, he cries out "Absalon! Absalon!" I can't figure out why.

I don't know the Maeterlinck, and perhaps the reason is more clear in
the play.

Absalom was a son of King David who betrayed him, then died, fleeing
his father and getting his head stuck in the branches of a tree as he
rode under it. His father mourned him, despite the betrayal. It's
possible that jerking Melisande back and forth reminded Golaud of
Absalom's body dangling from the tree, but that seems like a
stretch...

Does anyone have an explanation?

[tmori...@yahoo.com]

IIIRC Absalom was caught by his hair in the branches of the tree.
Golaud grabs Melisande's hair (which is so important in the play/opera)
and this, combined with the idea of betrayal, brings him the story of
David and Absalom to mind.

this is at least how I understand the scene.

th.

[EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)]

Donald Grove wrote:

Yeah. Although the opera may be a bit obscure about it,
most directors seem to assume that Pelleas does not appear
at Melisande's deathbed because Golaud has killed him. (And
dallying with Golaud's wife would surely count as
"betrayal", wouldn't it?) Consequently the "Absalom" line
is pretty transparent. (BTW, I though David "arranged" for
Absalom's death.)

[tmori...@yahoo.com]

Theresa schrieb:

>
> Absalom's story has two other main points which may be relevant
> here. But it may have been the hair-thing that Maeterlinck had in
> mind:
>
> 1.) Absalom's half-brother Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar.
> David only bans Amnon from the court in Jerusalem. Absalom kills
> Amnon and then has to stay away from David's court for some time.
>
> So the cries "Absalom, Absalom" show Golaud's intention to kill
> Pelleas who has an affair with Melisande as Golaud learns at the
> end of act III.
>
> 2.) Absalom kind of rebels against David and David has to flee
> from Jerusalem. Then there is a battle of David's men against
> Absalom's men. The very words "Absalom, Absalom" occur in the
> bible when David learns that he has won the battle but lost his
> son. His grief about his dead son Absalom is bigger than his joy
> about the won battle.
>
> Golaud's plan with Yniold at the end of act III worked well, but
> the "success" means that he has lost his faith in Melisande.
>

Thanks Theresa for these didascalia.
The purpose of this mail of mine is mainly to ensure your explanations
will remain in the archives, since you have the "no archive" option and
I think it would be a pity they get lost.

Best,

th.

[Donald Grove]

But at the point where Golaud abuses Melisande and cries "Absalon!
Absalon!" he hasn't killed his brother yet.

What you say is interesting, though. It never occured to me that no
one mentions Pelleas after his last scene with Melisande. I always
just assumed he must have been killed. The music does suggest that
something very violent or forceful occurs at the end of the scene, but
we don't actually no what...

dsg

[Donald Grove]

I think maybe this is it. You're definitely right about the hair.

In fact, the hair "thing" is very absent from the current NY Met
production, except in the libretto. Maybe that's why I didn't think
of it. (I've attended many performances of this at the Met, but only
because the opera is so extraordinary. The production is curious, but
not persuasive).

The hair is much more apparent when I watch the wonderful DVD of the
production by the Welsh National Opera.

dsg

[ljo]

"Donald Grove" <donal...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:krle92tll40a52eqh...@4ax.com...

> But at the point where Golaud abuses Melisande and cries "Absalon!
> Absalon!" he hasn't killed his brother yet.
>
> What you say is interesting, though. It never occured to me that no
> one mentions Pelleas after his last scene with Melisande. I always
> just assumed he must have been killed. The music does suggest that
> something very violent or forceful occurs at the end of the scene, but
> we don't actually no what... >

Golaud kills Pelleas with his sword when he catches him smooching with
Melisande and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. (End of Act IV)
LJO

[Stephen Jay-Taylor]

Not to be pernickety dears, but wherever did you get the bizarre idea that

"most directors seem to assume that Pelleas does not appear

at Melisande's deathbed because Golaud has killed him".? ASSUME !?

At the start of ActV, as Mélisande lies dying of post-partition
complications, Golaud himself states flatly, riven with remorse :

"J'ai tué sans raison!
Est-ce que ce n'est pas à faire pleurer les pierres!
Ils s'étaient embrassés comme des petits enfants.
Ils étaient frère et sour."

Other than a smoking gun, what more would you require in order to invade.
Er, I mean realise Pelléas is dead. Perhaps the stage direction at the end
of Act IV may help :

[Golaud se précipite sur eux l'épée à la main et frappe Pelléas qui tombe
mort au bord de la fontaine.]

SJT, keen on clarity.