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Project collects

• Performers of the premieres
• Greatest performers
• Persons are sorted on this page by roles and birth years

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Léo Delibes: Lakmé

• Opera in three acts, in French
• Music by Léo Delibes
• Libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gilles
• Based on Théodore Pavie's story "Les babouches du Brahmane" and novel "Le Mariage de Loti" by Pierre Loti
• Time: Indian Rebellion of 1857
• Place: British India
• Premieres
  • World Premiere on 14 April 1883 by the Opéra-Comique at the (second) Salle Favart in Paris. American soprano Marie van Zandt and Finnish-French soprano/mezzo-soprano Elisa Frandin were the first to sing the Flower Duet.
• Roles
  • Lakmé, a priestess, daughter of Nilakantha, coloratura soprano
    • Marie van Zandt (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
    • Elisa Frandin
    • Marcella Sembrich-Kochańska
    • Märta Petrini
    • Luisa Tetrazzini
    • Alice Verlet (1873–1934)
    • Amelita Galli-Curci
    • María Barrientos
    • Pia Ravenna
    • Mercedes Capsir
    • Erna Sack
    • Lily Pons
    • Pierrette Alarie
    • Maria Callas
    • Joan Sutherland
    • Beverly Sills
    • Ileana Cotrubaș
    • Edita Gruberová
    • Montserrat Martí
  • Mallika, slave of Lakmé, mezzo-soprano
    • Elisa Frandin (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
    • Gladys Swarthout
    • Susan Graham (b 1960)
  • Gérald, a British army officer, tenor
    • Jean-Alexandre Talazac (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
    • Arvid Fredrik Ödmann
    • David Devriès
    • Giovanni Martinelli
    • Georges Gabriel Thill
    • Alfredo Kraus
    • Plácido Domingo
  • Nilakantha, a Brahmin priest, bass or bass baritone
    • Arthur Cobalet (1855-1901) (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
    • Félix Vieuille (1872–1953)
    • Ezio Pinza
    • Nicolai Ghiaurov
  • Frédéric, officer friend of Gérald, baritone
    • Auguste-Armand Barré (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
    • Giuseppe De Luca
  • Hadji, slave of Nilakantha, tenor
    • Chennevière (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Miss Ellen, fiancée of Gérald, soprano
    • Rémy (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Miss Rose, companion of Ellen, soprano
    • Zoé Caroline Maria Molé-Truffier (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Mistress Bentson, a governess, mezzo-soprano
    • Pierron (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Fortune teller (Un Domben), tenor
    • Teste (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • A Chinese merchant, tenor
    • Davoust (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Le Kouravar, baritone
    • Bernard (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
• Chorus: Officers, ladies, merchants, Brahmins, musicians
• Scenographers
  • Auguste Alfred Rubé (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Philippe Chaperon (act 1) (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Eugène Carpezat (act 2) (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Joseph-Antoine Lavastre (act 2) (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Jean-Baptiste Lavastre (act 3) (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
• Costume designors
  • Théophile Thomas (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
• Stage directors
• Conductors
  • Jules Danbé (World Premiere on 14 April 1883)
  • Georges Sébastian
  • Nicola Rescigno
  • Carlos Alberto Piantini Espinal
  • Richard Bonynge
  • Claudio Abbado

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