What is Lakmé?
[[File:Léo_Delibes_01.jpg|thumb|Léo Delibes, in 1875]] '''''Lakmé''''' is a French [[opera]] in three acts by Léo Delibes, first performed at the [[Opéra-Comique]] in [[Paris]], on April 14, 1883, [[libretto]] by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille, after Pierre Loti Rarahu's ''Le mariage de Loti''. An immediate success, it has remained one of the most popular of French operas. ==Principal roles and voice types== * Lakmé - [[soprano]] * Gérald - [[tenor]] * Mallika - [[mezzo-soprano]] * Nilakantha - [[bass (vocal range)|bass]] ==Discography== [[Image:Poster for the première of Léo Delibes' Lakmé - Original.jpg|thumb|right|Original poster for ''Lakmé'']] * 1940: Lily Pons (Lakmé), Armand Tokatyan (Gérald), Ira Petina (Mallika), Ezio Pinza (Nilakantha); New York Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Wilfrid Pelletier - (The Golden Age; live) * 1952: Mado Robin (Lakmé), Libero de Luca (Gérald), Agnés Disney (Mallika), Jean Borthayre (Nilakantha); Chœurs et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra-Comique, Georges Sébastian - (Decca) * 1967: [[Joan Sutherland]] (Lakmé), Alain Vanzo (Gérald), Jane Berbié (Mallika), Gabriel Bacquier (Nilakantha); Chœurs et Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Monte Carlo, Richard Bonynge - (Decca) * 1970: Mady Mesplé (Lakmé), Charles Burles (Gérald), Danielle Millet (Mallika), Roger Soyer (Nilakantha); Chœurs et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra-Comique, Alain Lombard - (EMI * 1998: Natalie Dessay (Lakmé), Gregory Kunde (Gérald), Delphine Haidan (Mallika), José van Dam (Nilakantha); Chœur et Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, Michel Plasson - (EMI Classics) ==Sources== * ''The Complete Dictionary of Opera & Operetta'', James Anderson, Vikings Books, 1989 == Other websites == {{commons category|Lakmé (Delibes)}} *{{IMSLP2|id=Lakmé (Delibes, Léo)|cname=Lakmé}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lakme}} [[Category:1880s operas]]