ABSTRACT
The exhibition took place alongside the publication by HMV (as a French branch of Pathé-Marconi) of the first complete recording of Pelléas et Mélisande on 20 discs, with the singers Irène Joachim and Jacques Jansen in the title roles, conducted by Désormière. The director of French HMV, Jean Bérard, was an open collaborator, but his artistic defence of French music was variously interpreted, given that at this period promoting Debussy could be a deeply ambiguous act, either collaborationist or resistant depending on the circumstances. 1
