Gérard Souzay (Golaud) and Eric Tappy (Pelléas) side by side in a production of Claude Debussy’s opera Pelléas et Mélisande under the direction of Jean-Marie Auberson at the Grand Théâtre in Geneva on 20 March 1969 – Claves offers the opportunity to relive this exceptional moment in a recording from its new series CHRONOS dedicated to particularly remarkable archive recordings.

Under Radio Suisse Romande’s microphones the singers excelled and sparked a dialogue with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (which had just lost its founder and director Ernest Ansermet, who was to have lead the production) marked by a phenomenal naturalness.

The clarity of their diction in combination with profound musicality makes this recording a veritable singing lesson. The recent decease of three main figures from this production in 2004 (Erna Spoorenberg on 18 March, Jean-Marie Auberson on 4 July, and Gérard Souzay on 17 August) lends this recording particular poignancy; it is dedicated to their memory.