Pelleas und Melisande

work by Schoenberg

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July 1, 2026

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Arnold Schoenberg composed a symphonic poem titled Pelleas und Melisande in 1902-03, inspired by Maurice Maeterlinck's 1892 play of the same name. The play, a French Symbolist drama, centers on the tragic love between Pelléas and Mélisande, who is married to Pelléas's brother. Maeterlinck's work emphasizes atmosphere and dreamlike qualities over plot, using impressionistic dialogue to evoke melancholy and magic. Claude Debussy also created an opera based on the play in 1902. Schoenberg's symphonic poem is a significant work from his early, highly romantic period, before he developed his later serialist techniques.123

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Arnold Schoenberg
First major works
…symphonic poem for large orchestra, Pelleas und Melisande (1902–03), after the drama by Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck. Back in Vienna in 1903, Schoenberg became acquainted with the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, who became one of his strongest supporters.
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…symphonic poem for large orchestra, Pelleas und Melisande (1902–03), after the drama by Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck. Back in Vienna in 1903, Schoenberg became acquainted with the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, who became one of his strongest supporters.
Read More