By Ulrike Granögger

Even people who have never seen an opera have likely heard the “Flower Duet,” a piece from Léo Delibes’ Lakmé. It’s been used many times in TV, film, and commercials (as last week’s music pick also relates). In French, the song is known as “Dôme épais le jasmin,” named after its opening words, which describe a thick canopy of jasmine arching overhead.

Delibes’ opera premiered in Paris in 1883 and is set in British-ruled India. Lakmé is the daughter of Nilakantha, a fiercely devout Brahmin priest. In Act I—just before the plot is about to take a dramatic turn—Lakmé and her servant Mallika leave the temple grounds and head to a quiet stream to gather flowers. The two women sing together as they glide through the garden, with Lakmé setting aside her jewels before they reach the water.

The text is simple and pictorial. It describes the beauty of the garden, the flowers, the stream, and the sense of being quietly enclosed by nature. There is no drama in the lyrics, only atmosphere and gentleness. And Delibes’ music paints a rocking, lilting rhythm suggestive of a boat drifting on water.

The two voices, soprano for Lakmé (Sabine Devieilhe) and mezzo-soprano for Mallika (Marianne Crebassa), move largely in parallel, weaving around each other and blending so closely that they sometimes seem like a single voice. The orchestra stays light and transparent, with soft strings and delicate textures that let the voices glow on top.

Marvelous!