Delibes: Lakmé

Opera audiences in 19th-century Paris may never have visited India, but they loved to dream about it. After the successes enjoyed by Lespêcheurs de perles and Le roi de Lahore Delibes knew what... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 9th Sep 2022
Catalogue No: 9029627909
Label: Erato
Length: 2 hours 22 minutes

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Delibes: Lakmé

Work length2:22:02

Charles Burles (tenor), Bernadette Antoine (mezzo-soprano), José van Dam (baritone), Delphine Haidan (mezzo-soprano), Franck Leguérinel (baritone), Natalie Dessay (soprano), Gregory Kunde (tenor), Patricia Petibon (soprano), Xenia Konsek (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, Choeur du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson

Lakmé : Prélude

Track length3:39

"A L'heure Accoutumée" (Choeur, Nilakantha)

Track length3:16

"Blanche Dourga" (Lakmé, Choeur, Nilakantha)

Track length4:14

"Lakmé, c'est toi qui nous protèges !" (Nilakantha, Lakmé, Hadji, Mallika)

Track length3:20

"Dôme épais le jasmin à la rose s'assemble" (Lakmé, Mallika)

Track length4:47

"Miss Rose, Miss Ellen" (Mistress Bentson, Ellen, Rose, Gerald, Frederic)

Track length2:31

"Quand une femme est si jolie" (Ellen, Frederic, Gerald, Rose, Mistress Bentson)

Track length5:17

"Nous commettons un sacrilège" (Frederic, Gerald, Mistress Bentson, Rose, Ellen)

Track length1:16

"Prendre le dessin d'un bijou" (Gerald)

Track length5:54

"Non ! Je ne veux pas toucher" (Gerald, Lakmé, Mallika)

Track length3:07

"Les fleurs me paraissent plus belles" (Lakmé)

Track length4:03

"Ah ! Mallika ! Mallika" (Lakmé, Mallika, Hadji)

Track length0:42

"D'où viens-tu ? Que veux-tu ?" (Lakmé, Gerald)

Track length7:22

"Viens là ! là !" (Hadji, Nilakantha, Lakmé, Choeur)

Track length1:21

Entr'acte

Track length1:19

"Allons, avant que midi sonne" (Choeur, Mistress Bentson, Frederic, Rose)

Track length4:45

"Enfin ! Nous aurons du silence !" (Mistress Bentson, Frederic, Rose)

Track length1:01

Airs de danse - Introduction

Track length0:26

Airs de danse - Terâna

Track length1:39

Airs de danse - Rektah

Track length0:56

Airs de danse - Persian

Track length2:01

Airs de danse - "Ah ! Ah ! Par nos yeux charmés" (Choeur)

Track length1:09

Airs de danse - Sortie

Track length0:43

"Voyez donc ce vieillard" (Rose, Frederic, Mistress Bentson)

Track length4:03

"Ah ! Ce vieillard encor !" (Rose / Nilakantha / Lakmé)

Track length4:36

"Ah ! c'est de ta douleur" (Lakmé, Nilakantha)

Track length1:27

"Ah ! Par les dieux inspirés...Où va la jeune hindoue..." (Lakmé)

Track length8:26

"La rage me dévore" (Nilakantha, Lakmé, Choeur, Gerald, Frederic)

Track length3:20

Lakmé, Act 2: "Au milieu des chants d'allégresse" (Nilakantha, Lakmé, Choeur)

Track length2:21

"Le maître ne pense qu'à sa vengeance" (Hadji)

Track length2:05

"Lakmé ! Lakmé ! C'est toi !" (Gerald, Lakmé)

Track length8:16

"O Dourga, toi qui renais" (Choeur, Ellen, Rose, Mistress Bentson, Frederic, Gerald)

Track length8:26

Entr'acte

Track length3:44

"Sous le ciel tout étoilé" (Lakmé)

Track length3:24

"Quel vague souvenir alourdit ma pensée ?" (Gerald, Lakmé)

Track length2:38

Lakmé, Acte 3: "Lakmé ! Lakmé ! Ah ! Viens dans la forêt profonde" (Gerald)

Track length1:56

Lakmé, Act 3: "Là, je pourrai t'entendre" (Lakmé, Choeur, Gerald)

Track length4:29

Lakmé, Act 3: "Vivant !" (Frederic, Gerald)

Track length4:09

"Ils allaient deux à deux" (Lakmé, Gerald, Choeur)

Track length10:33

"C'est lui ! C'est lui !" (Nilakantha, Lakmé, Gerald)

Track length3:21

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Reviews

2010

Opera audiences in 19th-century Paris may never have visited India, but they loved to dream about it. After the successes enjoyed by Lespêcheurs de perles and Le roi de Lahore Delibes knew what he was doing when he chose to set an adaptation of Pierre Loti's exotic Indian novel Rarahu and duly scored a hit with his opera Lakmé at the Opéra-Comique in 1883. The opera is nothing without a star in the title-role.
Natalie Dessay is certainly that and yet she never fails to remember that Delibes's heroine must be fragile and sensitive. Her Bell Song, brilliantly sung, is also intent on telling a story. Her singing of the death scene, with its delicate fil de voce perfectly poised each time the high A comes round, is heartfelt and leaves no doubt that this is a Lakmé who deserves to go to heaven. EMI found a worthy tenor to partner her. Gregory Kunde, as Gérald, is at ease at the top of his voice. At the first entrance of the colonial Brits, Frédéric describes Gérald as a poet and Kunde lives up to the promise by phrasing his opening solo, 'Fantaisie aux divins mensonges', with poetic sensibility. In the duets he and Dessay are tender young love personified. The supporting cast is also a decent one.
Michel Plasson gives the music room to breathe and is able to conjure a dreamy atmosphere in the scenes of romance. His Toulouse orchestra is adequate, if not exceptional, and the recording is of a good standard. What reason is there to resist?

Delibes: Lakmé

2 CDs

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