January 2024 Meeting
The Flower Duet
The Flower Duet is the world's most widely known operatic music. Used in many commercials and sales campaigns, it is a sublimely beautiful, lilting duet with a soprano and mezzo-soprano. It is so often used in commercials that sometimes it is used very inappropriately when the text of the duet is known. The duet occurs early in the opera when Lakme and her servant, Mallika, are taking a canoe down the stream that cuts through her father's private compound. They plan to pick flowers along the river banks. Lakme is carefree, but Mallika is concerned that Lakme's father, Nilikantha would not approve of the outing. The lilting melody of the duet is in B major sung in tight thirds with frequent modulations to minor modes to signal foreboding. Significantly, one of the flowers picked is the datura -- a poisonous bloom with which Lakme eventually commits suicide.
We did not manage to start full opera at this first club meeting because the interest in various versions of the Flower Duet consumed a lot of time. The full version is posted here for completeness.
Datura Flower
January 18, 6pm, RCN
Details
Opera Australia - Sydney Opera House
Feb 20, 2020
Lakmé - Emma Matthews Mallika - Dominica Matthews Frederic - Luke Gabbedy Gerald - Aldo Di Toro
Runtime: 2:16:34
Lakme has not been performed a lot since its premiere in 1883 perhaps due to some cringy racist tropes. Perhaps also that initial excitement of exoticism flashed and passed. But it had largely fallen off the rotation in most opera houses until Joan Sutherland performed it in Sydney in 1976. The version posted to the left is also from Opera Australia and is one of a few that features English sub-titles.
Score
Charismatic Voice Flower Duet Analysis
Coyle Flower Duet Analysis
