One hundred years to the day since Claude Debussy's opera Pelleas et Melisande opened in Paris, Roger Nichols and Christopher Cook explore his innovation and influence, setting his achievements in the vibrant context of French political, cultural and intellectual life. At the heart of the evening is a performance of the opera, compiled from five landmark recordings spanning 60 years.

7.05 Prelude a l'Apres Midi d'un Faune London Symphony Orchestra, conductor Claudio Abbado

7.15 Why Pelleas?
The enduring fascination of Debussy's opera.

7.30 Pelleas et Melisande (Act 1) Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, conductor Roger Desormiere

8.00 Light and Water
Debussy's relationship to the visual arts.

8.20 Pelleas et Melisande (Act 2) French National Radio Orchestra, conductor Andre Cluytens

8.50 Anarchy and Violence
Paris in the turbulent years of the 1890s.

9.20 Pelleas et Melisande (Act 3) Royal Opera House Orchestra, conductor Pierre Boulez

9.55 Gesture and Drama
French theatre before and after Maeterlinck.

10.20 Les Soirs Illumines par l'Ardeurdu Charbon Roy Howat (piano)
The first broadcast of a newly discovered Debussy work.

9.20 Pelleas et Melisande (Act 4) Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Herbert von Karajan

11.10 Anxiety and Dreams
The mysterious worlds of the mind in Debussy's Paris.

11.30 Pelleas et Melisande (Act 5) French National Orchestra, conductor Bernard Haitink