The lost opera: reconstructing Debussy’s discarded Poe masterpiece
In short: In 1903, Claude Debussy began crafting an opera based on Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Devil in the Belfry.' Though it remained a fragment for over a century, scholars are now piecing together his sketches to breathe life into this lost work.
Debussy originally intended to present a double bill of two Poe-inspired works: 'Le Diable dans le beffroi' and 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' He even sold the rights for their joint premiere to the New York Met in 1908. However, the project stalled, leaving behind only a scenario and musical fragments, including a Prelude from a 1905 competition.
This reconstruction faces unique challenges: transforming a 'discarded text' into a viable professional libretto while interpreting Debussy’s incomplete sketches. The work reached a milestone in its concert premiere on January 28, 2012, in Montreal.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Le Diable dans le beffroi (1902-1912?): The reconstruction of Debussy's 'other' Poe opera
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