I Puritani

Sarah Coburn’s Ravishing Tulsa Opera Lakme - February 29, 2008

Tulsa and Paris are both prominent centers of the world petroleum industry. Tulsa has been associated with oil, gas and energy corporations since the early 20th century, when it became known that a great reservoir of oil lay nearby. Paris is the home of Total S. A., one of the world’s “Big Six” integrated oil giants, which is headquartered at La Defense, the industrial center just beyond the Parisian arrondisements.

My guess is that, notwithstanding periodic communication between Tulsan and Parisian experts on such subjects as oil drilling, there has been rather less discussion between Tulsan and Parisian experts on the subject of the exotic operas of the French Third Republic (perhaps in part because of a seeming decline of enthusiasm for these works of Jules Massenet and Leo Delibes in the French capital).

But, in fact, Delibes’ “Lakme” has had an American Connection from the very start. The opera dates from the time when sculptor Frederic Bartholdi and engineer Gustave Eiffel were completing the work on the Statue of Liberty in France before transporting it to New York City. The role of Lakme was written for New Yorker Marie van Zandt. Paris imbibed the exotic creation of a Hindu priestess singing poetic French with an American accent.

Delibes’ mentor and teacher, composer Adolphe Adam, wrote both the ballet “Giselle” and almost four dozen operas. Only Adam’s ballet is performed regularly these days.

Delibes is perhaps a bit better known these days for his ballet “Coppelia” than “Lakme”. “Coppelia” is based, of course, on the very Tale of E. T. A. Hoffman, from which Offenbach derived part of his most famous opera. Surely, ”Coppelia” contains one of the half dozen most familiar symphonic treatments of the Romantic Era waltz.

Aimez-vous Delibes? 

Among the admirers of Delibes’ ballets (”Sylvia” also holds a place in the ballet repertoire) was Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who famously proclaimed Delibes’ music superior to Brahms’. Since Tchaikovsky was considered no fan of Brahms’ compositions, some commentators have interpreted this as a backhand slight of Delibes.

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I Puritani News



The Tales of Hoffmann
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,  United States - Jun 26, 2008
That replacement is soprano Pamela Armstrong, who sang the role of Elvira in last season’s "I Puritani." Although she’s not quite in Perez’s league (few

Stage listings
Vancouver Sun,  Canada - Jun 26, 2008
10 am, $15/20 » Season-ending concert features highlights from Norma, Rigoletto and Lucia di Lammermoor, plus excerpts from La Traviata and I Puritani.

The Best Seat in the House
Wall Street Journal - Jun 20, 2008
6, 2007, I wandered into the Regal Green Hills 16 theater and put down $20 for a ticket to "I Puritani." I had read about this theater thing,

Seattle Opera Presents Verdi’s Opera Aida
HULIQ (press release), NC - Jun 27, 2008
Aida will feature lavish sets by Tonyaward winner Michael Yeargan (The Light in the Piazza), opulent costumes by Peter J. Hall (I Puritani),


Musical Criticism
Juan Diego Flórez: Bel Canto Spectacular
Musical Criticism, UK - Jun 15, 2008
I had wondered whether the duet with Anna Netrebko, 'Vieni fra queste braccia' from I puritani by Bellini, would really work, because Flórez's voice is so

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I Puritani. Composer: Vincenzo Bellini ... ACT I. Scene 1. Plymouth, a Puritan stronghold, is threatened by siege from the Royalist troops. ...

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Baltimore Opera Company
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