Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea
Fri 7 Apr
Directed by Brendan Wheatley, with musical direction from John Beswick, the classic opera by French Romantic composer Leo Delibes—here performed in English and accompanied by a live chamber orchestra—comes to Swansea in April, courtesy of the Swansea City Opera.
Set in the late 19th century in British-controlled India, Lakmé tells the tragic story of its eponymous heroine, who falls in love with a British soldier, against the wishes of her mother, the high priest of a Brahmin temple. Bound to be a grand affair, Delibes’ compositions are described as being rich with detail and texture, no surprise given his influence on Tchaikovsky and Debussy. Most people might recognise the Flower Duet in Lakmé’s first act, a regular fixture on commercials and films, but that piece’s ubiquity belies an expansive three-part opera. Whilst it may retain the colonialist undertones common to operas of the period, it nevertheless remains a fascinating opera of the Romantic Classical Period, when bombast, ambition, and sumptuousness were the norm in music. The night’s programme at the Taliesin Arts Centre also includes a pre-performance talk by Brendan Wheatley at 6:15pm about the story behind the production.
Admission: £20/£18 conc. Info: 017 9260 2060 / www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk