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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"Qui la voce sua soave..." "Vien diletto..." July, 2005. Seoul, South Korea. Sumi Jo & Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Gala Concert ...
I Puritani News

![]() Baltimore Sun (blog) | Terrence McNally's 'Golden Age' spices up opera history Baltimore Sun (blog) The "Puritani" premiere, one of the most celebrated occasions in all of opera, certainly provides a wealth of material to run with, and McNally has a field |
All That Glitters: Bobbie Talks About McNally's Golden Age at the Kennedy Center Playbill.com A door-slamming backstage farce, Golden Age imagines the troubled 1835 premiere of Bellini's I Puritani. The play began performances at the Kennedy Center |
Renee Fleming Stars in the Met Premiere of Rossini's ARMIDA 4/12 Talk Opera World and Ramiro ( Houston Grand Opera, La Scala), but also Narciso in Il Turco in Italia (Deutsche Oper, Berlin), and Arturo in I Puritani (Seattle Opera). |
![]() Playbill.com | Golden Age Kicks Off McNally's Nights at the Opera in DC March 12 Playbill.com The occasion is the premiere of Vincenzo Bellini's opera, I Puritani. Assembled are the composer and his faithful friend, Francesco Florimo, |
![]() Washington Post | Theater review: Terrence McNally's 'Golden Age' at the Kennedy Center Washington Post "I Puritani" unfolds just out of our field of vision, just beyond set designer Santo Loquasto's vivid rendering of the backstage, adorned with chandeliers Concerts |
Classical Music Directory
Symphony Space - I Puritani
A high definition screening of Teatro Comunale di Bologna's production of Bellini's classic, which reunites two young stars: Juan Diego Florez and Nino Machaidze. ...
Bellini Puritani - Classical.com Search Classical.com ...
Listen to the world's largest collection of specialist and classical music recordings. ... I Puritani, Act I: Il Rito Augusto Si Compia Senza Me (Valton) (Bellini) ...
Amazon.com: Bellini: I Puritani: Anna Netrebko, Eric Cutler ...
Amazon.com: Bellini: I Puritani: Anna Netrebko, Eric Cutler, Franco Vassallo, John Relyea, Patrick Summers, Metropolitan Opera: Movies & TV
Bellini: I Puritani by Riccardo Muti - Download Bellini: I ...
Preview and download songs from Bellini: I Puritani by Riccardo Muti on iTunes. Buy Bellini: I Puritani for just $29.99.
- I Puritani
For this production of I Puritani, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna has reunited two young stars who could well become the dream couple in the opera ...


