Opera Guide and Synopsis: Lakme

Lakmé, which premiered in Paris in 1883, was based on the novel Rarahu ou Le Mariage de Loti by Pierre Loti. The music was composed by Léo Delibes and the libretto was adapted from the novel by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. The story takes place in India, and Delibes used Western conceptions of Indian music to add color to the score.

Characters in Lakmé

• Gérald, an English army officer (Tenor)
• Lakmé, a priestess (Soprano)
• Nilakantha, a Brahmin priest, her father (Bass)
• Frédéric, an English army officer (Baritone)
• Mallika, Lakmé's slave (Mezzo-soprano)
• Hadji, a slave (Tenor)
• Ellen and Rose, Englishwomen (Soprani)
• Miss Benson, their governess (Contralto)

Synopsis of Lakmé

Act I

In a garden near a sacred Hindu temple, Lakmé picks flowers with her slave, Mallika ("The Flower Duet"). Gérald and Frédéric are passing by with the women and their regiment. Gérald sees Lakmé's jewelry and stops to sketch it. When she returns for her jewelry, they meet and fall in love. They are interrupted, however, by Lakmé's father Nilakantha. He hates foreigners, and swears revenge on Gérald for trespassing and desecrating the sacred temple.

Act II

In a city marketplace, Nilakantha disguises himself as a beggar and has Lakmé sing ("The Bell Song"). Her singing attracts Gérald. Now that Gérald has revealed himself, Nilakantha plans to kill him. Under cover of night, Nilakantha stabs Gérald. However, Lakmé and Hadji witness the crime and manage to get him away to safety.

Act III

Lakmé has nursed Gérald back to health while hiding in the jungle, and they declare their love for each other. When they hear a chorus of people, Lakmé explains that they are couples seeking the sacred water which, when drunk by lovers, will make love last forever. She goes to fetch a cup of the sacred water for herself and Gérald. While she is gone, however, Frédéric appears to tell Gérald that he must go back to his regiment. When Lakmé returns and sees that Gérald wishes to return to his regiment, she commits suicide by eating a poisonous flower rather than being dishonored.

Sources:

• Kobbé, Gustav. The Complete Opera Book. New York and London: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1919.
• Mason, Henry L. Opera Stories. Boston: Henry L. Mason, 1912.
• Melitz, Leo, trans. Richard Salinger. The Opera Goer's Complete Guide. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1921.