GRAND OPERA LIBRETTOS m:'v ITALIAN AND ENGLISH TEXT AND MUSIC OF THE PRINCIPAL AIRS LAKME BY DELIBES £L OLIVER DITSON COMPAI^Y BOSTON f OPERA SCORES A]l the vocal scores have English text together with the fore'gn text men- tioned below. Unless otherwise specified, these books are bound in paper. GRAND OPERAS AIDA Giuseppe Verdi 2.50 LAKME Leo Delibes 3.00 In four acts. Italian text In three acts BOHEMIAN GlRL....Michael W. Balfe 2.00 MARITANA.... William Vincent Wallace 2.50 In three acts In three acts CARMEN Georges Bizet 2.5Q MIGNON Ambroise Thomas 2.50 In four acts, French text In three acts. Italian text CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA Pietro Mascagni 2.00 SAMSON AND DELILAH Saint-Saens 2.50 In one act. Italian text In three acts Camille FAUST Charles Gounod 2.00 TROVATORE, IL Giuseppe Verdi 2.00 In five acts. French text In four acts. Italian text LIGHT OPERAS BELLS OF CORNEVILLE, THE; or, THE MARTHA Friedrich von Flotow 2.50 CHIMES OF NORMANDY In four acts. German and Italian text In three acts Robert Planquette 2. SO MASCOT, THE Edmond Audran 2.50. In three acts BILLEE TAYLOR; or, THE REWARD OF VIRTUE Edward Solomon 1.50 OLIVETTE Edmond Audran 2.00 In two acts In three acts BOCCACCIO; or, THE PRINCE OF PINAFORE, H. M. S.; or, THE LASS THAT PALERMO Franz von Suppe 2.50 LOVED A SAILOR In three acts In two acts Sir Arthur Sullivan 1.50 DOCTOR OF ALCANTARA, THE SORCERER, THE. ...Sir Arthur Sullivan 1.75 In two acts Julius Eichberg 1.50 In two acts FATINITZA Franz von Suppe 2.50 STRADELLA Friedrich von Flotow 2.00 In three acts. German and Italian text In three acts Send for Descriptive Circular P—Oratorios, Cantatas, Operas and Operettas. [5] m OLIVER DITSON COMPANY 121 [51 C5I^Si:,5>L OLIVER DITSON COMPANY'S STANDARD OPERA LIBRETTO. ^> LAKME. OPERA IN THREE ACTS. MUSIC BY LEO DELIBES, WORDS BY GONDINET AND PH. GILLE, WITH ENGLISH AND ITALIAN WORDS AND MUSIC OP THE PRINCIPAL AIRS. TRANSLATED AND ADAPTED BY THEODORE T. BARKER. .30 BOSTON LIST OF CHARACTERS. Gerald {first tenor) Officer of British army in India Ellen {high soprano) Daughter of the governor " " Y'KKO^KV^ibaritone) " " Rose {second soprano) Her friend NiLAKANTHA (basso catttante) A Brahmin priest Mrs. Benson {mezzo soprano) Governess of the Hadji {second tenor) A Hindoo slave young ladies A Fortune Teller. Mallika {mezzo soprano) Slave of Lakme A Chinese Merchant. Hindoos — men and women, English officers and A Sepov. ladies, sailors, Bayaderes, Chinamen, musicians, Brahmins, etc., etc. Lakme (Jirst soprano) Daughter of Nilakantha ARGUMENT. THE scene of Lakmd is laid in one of the large meeting with Lakmd. Nilakantha, convinced of his cities of India, and in its immediate vicinity, re- guilt, sends his daughter away and consults with his cently subdued and occupied by the English. The friends upon the manner in which he proposes to take opening takes place in the grounds of Nilakantha, a vengeance upon the destroyer of his peace and the Hindoo priest, whose premises it is considered crim- intruder upon the sanctity of his home. Lakm^, inal and worthy of death to profane. A small party of disobeying the commands of her father, remains at English ladies and officers of the British army find hand, and when, shortly afterwards, Gerald is stricken their "way thither while strolling about for amuse- down by the dagger of Nilakantha, she comes forward ment. They force an entrance through the bamboo with her faithful slave, Hadji, and orders him to be enclosure, and, while admiring the beauties of the carried to a hut concealed in the forest, where, his Elace, come upon some beautiful jewels which have wound found to be not mortal, she cares for him and een laid aside for the moment by the daughter of restores him to life and strength by the juices of cer- the Brahmin proprietor. Realizing the impropriety tain plants whose medicinal properties are well of their presence, they tqrn to leave ; but Gerald, known to the Hindoos. There as he recovers, his one of the officers, and the lover of Ellen, daughter passion for her increases, and all else, including his of the governor, wishing to make a sketch of the former love, seems forgotten. A chor.i«- of voices is {'ewels for the benefit of his lady-love, remains be- heard passing their retreat, which comes from a pro- lind for that purpose while the others depart. Upon cession of young lovers on their way to drink the reflection he decides to relinquish the idea of copying waters of a aacred fountain, said to have the property the form of the jewels, and in the moment of leaving of making unions lasting. Gerald wishes to drink of is surprised by the sudden appearance of Lakm6 just this water. Lakme obtains it, and is about to present returning from a little excursion upon the neighbor- it to him, when she perceives that a change has come ing stream. They are mutually struck by each other's over him during her absence. Meanwhile Frederic presence, and, seemingly, a ca^e of, love at first sight has made diligent search for his friend, and at last is the result. Lakm^ demands how and why he came finds him alone in the hut. He endeavors to recal' there, and tells him of the death penalty which must him to his duties by telling him that his regiment ii follow such intrusion. Gerald expresses his admira- ordered off at once to suppress an outbreak among tion of Lakm^'s beauty, and hastily departs, or con- the Hindoos. Gerald promises to be at his post in ceals himself just as the priest-father returns to his time, but begs a little delay, that he may once more home. Nilakantha notices the disturbance of his see and bid adieu to Lakm^. Upon receiving this daughter, and observes the strange footsteps, and promise, Frederic leaves him at the moment of Lak- declares that the intruder must die if discovered. In m^'s return with the sacred water. As she offers it the second act the scene is changed to the neighbor- to Gerald the fifes and drums of his regiment, just ing city, where a grand Brahminic festival and proces- leaving for the seat of the rebellion, are heard in the sion take place in honor of the gods and goddesses of distance. The sound, which recalls him to love and India. Also an Indian bazaar, with its occupations duty, transforms him, and he turns away from the and amusements. Many English residents are pres- proffered draught. Lakm^ is shocked by the sudden ent, among them the party of the first act. Also the change in him, which she but too well knows how to priest and his daughter disguised as penitents. Nil- account for. In her heart-breaking despair she gath- akantha orders Lakm^ to sing, believing that she will ers and eats some flowers of the deadly poisonous be heard by the intruder upon his premises, and by datura stramonium, from the effects of"^ which she his admiration of her beauty and voice will betray dies in his arms just as her father and his friends himself to his enemy's vengeance. The plan succeeds. arrive on the scene. Gerald is noted by the pleasure he shows at again Of cxufow^n*^ BERKELEY !! ; ! ! ! Ml 50 LAKME. FIRST ACT. Scene I. Scene I. A well-shaded garden, where flourish and intermingle Un giardino assai ombroso dove crescono e s'intrecciano the flowers of India. In the back-ground, near a little tutti i fiori dell' India. Al fondo si vede una casa bassa, river, stands a building of modest proportions^ half con- mezzo nascosta tra gli alberi. L' immagine d' un loto sulla cealed by the trees, a figure of Lotus over the door; and porta d' ingrcsso, epiiilontano unastatua di Ganessa, idolo near by, a statue of Ganesd, the God of Wisdom, an idol con testa d' elefante, dio della sapienza, danno a questa casa with the head of an elephant, give this mysterious abode misteriosa 1' aspetto d' un santuario. Al fondo si vede the ani}earance of a sanctuary. The garden is enclosed by anche il principio d* un ruscello che si perde nella verdura. a light fence of bamboo. Time, daybreak. II giardino e circondato d' una siepe debole di bambii. (Hadji, Mallikd, Nilakanthaj then Hindoos, men and E r ora deir alba. women. Hadji and Mallika come to open the garden gate (Aggi, Mallica, Nilacanta, poi Indian!, entrano. AU'al- to the Hindoos, who enter reflectively.) zarsi del sipario, Aggi e Mallica vanno ad aprire la porta del giardino ad nommi e donne indiane che entrano con Prayer and Chorus - raccoglimento.) Here at the usual moment. Core. Ecco r or' accostumata, When the plain, perfume-freighted, Ch' i prati 'mbalsamati, By the dawn's flame lighted. Dair alba dorati, Doth greet tl^e new-born d'^y, Salutan l' df nascente, Let our prayers rise united. Di Brama furioso That the anger of Brahma La collera per calmar, May from us pass away. E r su' favor ottener, Le preci uniamo. Nilakantha. Nilacanta. {Coming from his dwelling.) (Uscendo della casa.) Thrice blessed may you be, Tre veci benedetti clie date omaggio Who faithful homage render Al pret' abbandonato a burle ed ol« To heaven's high priest in me, traggio. Reviled, scoffed at, and outraged ! Del vittor odiatb, Of our base victors, the sway L' ira stancheremo.