"The Flower Duet" | Lakmé | Senior Recital

The Senior Recital of Madeline Best and Celia-Marie Bartholomew, from Suzanne Thorup's vocal studio, held on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at the Vieve Gore Concert Hall at Westminster University. Since we opened the recital with the first song we studied together ("Apex Predator"), we thought it would be great to close the recital with the last song we studied together ("Flower Duet"). I hope you enjoy it!
Song: "The Flower Duet"
Characters: Lakmé & Mallika
Opera: Lakmé
Composer: Léo Delibes
Performed by Madeline Best (as Lakmé) and Celia-Marie Bartholomew (as Mallika), with live accompaniment by Shauna Petersen.
Biographies/Headshots Link: drive.google.c...
French Text: (original)
(Lakmé) Viens, Mallika, les lianes en
fleurs, jettent déjà leur ombre sur le
ruisseau sacré qui coule calme
sombre, éveillé par le chant des
oiseaux tapageurs!
(Mallika) Oh! maîtresse, c’est l'heure ou
je te vois sourire, l’heure bénie où je
puis lire dans le coeur toujours fermé
de Lakmé
(Both) Sous le dôme épais,
Où le blanc jasmin
À la rose s’assemble,
Sur la rive en fleurs
Riant au matin,
Viens, descendons ensemble.
Doucement glissons
De son flot charmant
Suivons le courant fuyant:
Dans l’onde frémissante,
D’une main nonchalante,
Viens, gagnons le bord,
Où la source dort
Et l’oiseau chante.
Sous le dôme épais,
Sous le blanc jasmin
Ah! descendons ensemble.
(Lakmé) Mais, je ne sais quelle crainte
subite s’empare de moi, quand mon
père va à leur ville maudite, Je
tremble, je tremble d’effroi!
(Mallika) Pour que le Dieu Ganeca le
protège, jusqu'à l'étan où s'ébattent
joyeux, les cygnes aux ailes de neige,
allons cueillir les lotus bleus.
(Lakmé) Oui, près des cygnes aux ailes
de neige, allons cueillir les lotus bleus.
(Both) Sous le dôme épais...
English Translation:
(Lakmé) Come, Mallika, the lianas in
bloom, throw already their shadow
over the stream sacred which runs
calm and somber, awakened by the
song-of-the birds noisy!
(Mallika) Oh! mistress, it-is the-hour
when I see you smiling, the-hour
blessed when I can read in the always
closed heart of Lakmé!
(Both) Under the thick dome
Where the white jasmine
With the rose entwines,
On the river-bank in bloom
Laughing in-the morning,
Come, let-us-go-down together.
Gently we-glide
On its waters charming
Let-us-follow the current fleeting
On the-waves shimmering,
With-a hand uncaring,
Come, let-us-reach the bank,
Where the spring sleeps
And the-bird, the-bird sings.
Beneath the dome thick
Beneath the white jasmine
Ah! let-us-go-down together.
(Lakmé) But, I don’t know what fear
suddenly takes-hold of me, as my
father goes alone to their city
accursed, I tremble, I tremble
with-fear!
(Mallika) So that the god Ganesha him
protects, to the-pond where frolic
joyously the swans with wings of
snow, let-us-go gather the lotus blue.
(Lakmé) yes, near the swans with wings
of snow, let-us-go gather the lotus
blue.
(Both) Under the thick dome...