''L'Arlésienne'' is

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as th ...

composed by

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', w ...

for Alphonse Daudet's drama of the same name, usually translated as ''The Girl from

Arles Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...

.'' It was first performed on 30 September 1872 at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris. Bizet's original incidental music consists of 27 numbers for chorus and small orchestra, ranging from pieces of background music (mélodrames) only a few measures long, to

entr'acte (or , ;Since 1932–35 the recommends this spelling, with no apostrophe, so historical, ceremonial and traditional uses (such as the 1924 René Clair film title) are still spelled . and ', , and ) means 'between the acts'. It can mean a pau ...

s. The score achieves powerful dramatic ends with the most economic of means. Still, the work received poor reviews in the wake of the unsuccessful premiere and is not often performed now in its original form, although recordings are available. However, key pieces of the incidental music, most often heard in the form of two suites for full orchestra, have become some of Bizet's most popular compositions.

History

Composition history

In July 1872,

Léon Carvalho Léon Carvalho (18 January 1825 – 29 December 1897) was a French impresario and stage director. Biography Born Léon Carvaille in Port Louis, British Mauritius, he came to France at an early age. He studied at the Paris Conservatory an ...

, the new director of the Théâtre du Vaudeville, having previously collaborated with Bizet in producing his operas The Pearl Fishers (1863) and

The Fair Maid of Perth ''The Fair Maid of Perth'' (or ''St. Valentine's Day'') is an 1828 novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. Inspired by the strange, but historically true, story of the Battle of the North Inch, it is set in Perth, Scotland, Perth ...

(1867) at the

Théâtre Lyrique The Théâtre Lyrique () was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century (the other three being the Paris Opera, Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, and the Théâtre-Italien (1801–1878), Théâtre-Italien). ...

, commissioned him to write music for his new venture—'' L'Arlésienne'', a play by Alphonse Daudet. Although the drama was based on the author's short story of the same name, first published in the newspaper ''L'Événement'' (''The Event'', 1866), and later in his collection ''Lettres de mon moulin'' ('' Letters from My Windmill'', 1869), the plot was originally inspired by a real event: the suicide of a nephew of writer

Frédéric Mistral Joseph Étienne Frédéric Mistral (; , 8 September 1830 – 25 March 1914) was an Occitan writer and lexicographer of the Provençal form of the language. He received the 1904 Nobel Prize in Literature "in recognition of the fresh origina ...

as a consequence of ''amour fou''. Carvalho planned to relieve the bleak tragedy of this "rustic drama" by presenting the play with music and choruses.Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 "The piece is a little too sombre for my theatre," said Carvalho, "but I think the music will be a powerful attraction and it will soften somewhat the cruelty of the play." However, there was some risk in this approach, as this genre ("mélodrame") was in decline.Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 ''L'Arlésienne'', incidental music, Op. 23 (1872) Bizet composed 27 numbers for the five act play, which was presented in three acts and five scenes. Half of the numbers, mostly mélodrames, are quite short (under 20 measures) and are designed to be performed as background music for spoken drama. On the other hand, seven numbers, including the Prélude, four entr'actes (later known as the Pastorale, Intermezzo, Minuetto, and Carillon), one longer mélodrame (the Adagietto) and the Farandole, are both distinctive and lengthy enough to stand on their own outside of their stage setting. The drama is set on the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

river, in Camargue, south of

, in southwestern

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

. To help give the composition Provençal color, Bizet used three existing tunes from a folk/traditional music collection found in the book ''Lou Tambourin, Istori de l'Estrumen Prouvençau'' (''The Tambourin'',

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

, 1864) by writer and tambourinaire François Vidal: * № 3: ''Danso dei Chivau-Frus'' (''Dance of the Frisky Horses'

mdash;a brisk tune scored by Bizet for flute, piccolo, and tambourin (a Provençal drum); combined ingeniously with March of the Kings in the Farandole in Act 3 at the climax of the drama. * № 7: ''Èr dóu Guet

mdash;an "air provençal" heard in the form of a brief berceuse in a mélodrame (No. 13) in Act 2. * № 31: ''Marcho dei Rèi'' ('' March of the Kings'

mdash;a Provençal Christmas carol from

celebrating the Epiphany (holiday), Epiphany and the

Three Kings In Christianity, the Biblical Magi ( or ; singular: ), also known as the Three Wise Men, Three Kings, and Three Magi, are distinguished foreigners who visit Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh in homage to hi ...

; also identified as ''Marche de Turenne'', supposedly composed by

Jean-Baptiste Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( – 22 March 1687) was a French composer, dancer and instrumentalist of Italian birth, who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas, he spent most of his life working in the court o ...

some 200 years earlier; quoted five times at the beginning of the Overture in different harmonizations and orchestrations; reappears in the form of a chorus in Act 3. The premiere took place on 30 September 1872 in the Théâtre du Vaudeville. Bizet's music is scored for a chorus of 24 singers and an orchestra of only 26 players. Bizet played the harmonium (alternately with his publisher, Antony Choudens, and associate,

Ernest Guiraud Ernest Guiraud (; 23 June 18376 May 1892) was an American-born French composer and music teacher. He is best known for writing the traditional orchestral recitatives used for Bizet's opera '' Carmen'' and for Offenbach's opera '' Les contes d ...

) backstage at the theater in support of the chorus. Production was rushed as the play was staged as a last-minute replacement for another play (Robert Halt's ''Madame Frainex'' Hale, Philip, ''Historical and Descriptive Notes'' for the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five (orchestras), Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in ...

's 35th season (1915–191

/ref>), which had been banned by the censors, and the audience was less than favourably disposed to the new play.Robinson, Bradford, ''L'Arlésienne (complete stage music)'' The premiere was a failure and the production closed after 19 performances. Daudet later bitterly remarked: "It was a resounding flop amid the prettiest music in the world, silk and velvet costumes, and comic opera scenery. I came out of there discouraged, still hearing the silly laughter caused by the emotional scenes." "It was clear from the beginning that a drama of passion from the Camargue would not appeal to the sophisticated tastes of the Paris boulevards." ''L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1'', Op. 23^bis (1872) Bizet was assured that the best numbers from the incidental music, arranged for a full symphony orchestra, would be successful in the concert hall.Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 He planned a five movement suite as follows: 1. Prélude, 2. Carillon, 3. Adagietto, 4. Minuetto, 5. Final (unidentified number). Later he exchanged the positions of the 2nd and 4th numbers and abandoned the final one, leaving a four movement orchestral suite: #Prélude #Minuetto #Adagietto #Carillon The order of the movements does not correspond precisely with that of the incidental music, but conforms rather to the character and tempo conventions of a short symphony.Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 The Prélude and Adagietto closely resemble their original versions except for their expanded instrumentation. The Adagietto, previously scored for muted string quartet,Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 particularly benefits from its new massed, but muted, string sonority. The main difference in the Minuetto is a six bar addition to its coda. The Carillon, on the other hand, is considerably enlarged by the addition of the andantino that framed the Adagietto, followed by a shortened repeat of the opening section. Thus the movement now has an ABA form. The original title of the new work was ''L'Arlésienne, Suite d'Orchestre'', but after the appearance of a second suite, it would be known as ''L'Arlésienne, 1^re Suite d'Orchestre'' (''L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1''). Hugh Macdonald (musicologist), Macdonald, Hugh,
The Bizet Catalog
' It was first performed on 10 November 1872 under Jules Pasdeloup of the Concerts populaires in the Cirque d'Hiver with great success. The Minuetto had to be encored, and the Adagietto was almost accorded the same honor.Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 ''L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2'' (1879) ''L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1'' became so popular that the publisher Choudens commissioned a second set, ''L'Arlésienne, 2^me Suite d'Orchestre'', in 1879, four years after Bizet's untimely death.Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 His friend

is claimed to have arranged the other three large scale movements and, adding an extraneous number (the Minuet), assembled a second four movement suite as follows:Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 #Pastorale #Intermezzo #Minuet #Farandole The choral parts of the Pastorale were arranged for orchestra. This two part movement takes an ABA form, like the Carillon movement, by a repeat of the opening (Andante sostenuto assai) music. The Intermezzo has a 12 measure addition based on the central (Allegro moderato) theme inserted 4 bars before the end. The Minuet was taken from ''Scènes bohémiennes'', a suite of material originally composed for Bizet's 1866 opera ''

La jolie fille de Perth ''La jolie fille de Perth'' (''The Fair Maid of Perth'') is an opera in four acts by Georges Bizet (1838–1875), from a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jules Adenis, after the 1828 novel ''The Fair Maid of Perth'' by Sir W ...

''. The Farandole (the name of a Provençal dance) is a condensation of two numbers of the incidental music--№ 22: Final, and № 23: Entr’acte and Chorus. The choruses in these numbers were either omitted (the former) or arranged for orchestra (the latter). Although the arrangements in ''L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2'' are assumed to be Guiraud's work (his name is not mentioned in any scores) and the composition is clearly not as unified as the first suite, it contains a large proportion of inspired Bizet material, and is therefore generally credited to Bizet. The first performance of ''L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2'' took place on 21 March 1880 when Jules Pasdeloup again led the orchestra of the Concerts populaires.Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 ''L'Arlésienne'', incidental music (1885/86) The popularity of Bizet's music for ''L'Arlésienne'' was undoubtedly one of the factors prompting a later reappraisal of the original drama, and on 5 May 1885, a revival took place at the Théâtre de l'Odéon in Paris. Although the play was again received coldly initially, the success of this production resulted in a subsequent run of over 400 performances. A new version of the score for full orchestra was used, in which numbers from the suites, now expanded both in content and instrumentation, replaced the original small ensemble orchestrations of the 1872 version. The remaining numbers retained their original orchestrations, and a few numbers were either omitted, duplicated, truncated, or exchanged positions.

Performance history

''L'Arlésienne'', incidental music ''L'Arlésienne, Suite d'Orchestre''

Instrumentation

The score of the original incidental music is notable not only for its light instrumentation (apparently due to the budget constraints of the Théâtre du Vaudeville), but also for its unusual composition—particularly the small number of violas and brass instruments,Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 and the introduction of two instruments new to the orchestra. The score makes novel use of the

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

, at this time just being introduced after its invention in the 1840s. Some have associated the instrument with the character l'Innocent. However, only the first of the eight appearances of his theme is scored for the saxophone; the remaining seven are played by strings. Furthermore, the saxophone appears prominently in the Entr'acte before Act 2, Tableau 2, which may be said to be associated with the character Vivette. The specific drum to use in the percussion section is an issue of some confusion. Both Bizet's incidental music manuscript of 1872 and the score of ''L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2'', arranged by Guiraud in 1879, specify a " tambourin",Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 a large tabor ''not to be confused with'' the

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...

. The tambourin provençal is a low-pitched tenor drum, the length of which is typically about twice its diameter. In Provence, the tambourin is usually played in conjunction with the galoubet (a small pipe), making this combination a unique Provençal

pipe and tabor Pipe and tabor is a pair of instruments played by a single player, consisting of a three-hole pipe played with one hand, and a small drum played with the other. The tabor hangs on the performer's left arm or around the neck, leaving the hands ...

. This is the effect Bizet had in mind when he set the tune "Danso dei Chivau-Frus", used in the Farandole to evoke the sound of tambourinaires playing during a festival celebrating Saint Eligius. In the absence of a genuine tambourin, a

tom drum A tom drum (also known as a tom-tom) is a cylindrical drum with no snares, named from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala language. It was added to the drum kit in the early part of the 20th century. Most toms range in size between in diameter, thoug ...

or a snareless side drum is sometimes substituted. This was the circumstance in the premiere production, during which critic Arthur Pougin of ''Le Soir'' complained that the tambourin provençal had been replaced by an ordinary

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

(tambour).Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 Herbert von Karajan and

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

are two examples of prominent conductors who used a tambourine in recordings, giving the Farandole a brighter ambiance than would have been achieved with the deeper resonance of the tambourin. The score of the first number of ''L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1'', 'Prélude', specifies merely a "tambour",Wright, Lesley A., Scores for ''L'Arlésienne, Suites 1 & 2 for Orchestra'', Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998, 2001 and although a tambourin de Provence could just as well be employed here also, many orchestras use a snare drum (caisse claire).

Incidental music (1872)

Setting The action takes place in Camargue, on the

River, near the

Étang de Vaccarès Étang de Vaccarès is a lake, or, more accurately, a salt water lagoon (), in the wetlands of the Camargue in the delta of the River Rhône in southern France. Description The lake has an area of 65 km2, and the depth is less than two m ...

. The time is unspecified. The season in which the story takes place is a point of some confusion. At the beginning of Act 1, Balthazar mentions that it is the first of May. In Act 3, he mentions that it is now June. This occurs just before the Farandole, during which the peasants are celebrating Saint Éloi (Eligius),

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adju ...

s, and

husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. ...

. However, his

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

does not occur until the first of December. Main Characters * Francet Mamaï (65), farmer of le Castelet, grandfather of Frédéri and L'Innocent * Rose Mamaï (40), a widow, Francet's daughter-in-law, mother of Frédéri and L'Innocent * Frédéri (20), the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

, obsessively in love with the Arlésienne * L'Innocent (13), Frédéri's brother Janet; regarded as having a

developmental disability Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

* Balthazar (70), chief shepherd * La Renaude (70), Balthazar's love interest in earlier times, Vivette's grandmother * Vivette (17), Rose's goddaughter, Frédéri's second love interest * Patron Marc, Rose's brother, a

sailor * Mitifio (30), a horseherd ("un gardien de chevaux")

Synopsis

The Prélude (No. 1) begins with five different orchestrations of the March of the Kings, and concludes with the first of several quotations in the score of L’Innocent’s theme, and Frédéri’s theme. Act 1 Tableau 1: ''The Farm of Castelet'' In Scene 1, Francet Mamaï tells Balthazar of Frédéri’s passion for a girl from Arles. L’Innocent, whose theme dominates the first mélodrame (No. 2) and the next two numbers, wants Balthazar to finish his story about Mr. Seguin's goat, who was attacked by a wolf (another short story from ''Letters from My Windmill''). Balthazar assures the boy he will continue the story shortly. Francet reports that Frédéri doesn't eat or sleep and is in the grip of a kind of love fever. Francet and Balthazar agree that Frédéri would be better off marrying an industrious local girl, such as Vivette Renaude, rather than a "town hussy". Rose's brother Marc, who lives in Arles, and is due to arrive soon, has been tasked with investigating the Arlésienne and her family to be sure they are respectable. The next mélodrame (No. 3) links the first scene to the second, in which Balthazar continues telling the goat story to l’Innocent. Vivette enters in Scene 3, and asks Balthazar if l'Innocent can be cured. Balthazar repeats the superstitious belief that an Innocent in the household protects the others from evil and harm. The third mélodrame (No. 4) accompanies the exchange between Vivette and Balthazar, in which the shepherd says he thinks something is stirring in l’Innocent’s mind: "That child is waking up... and if he does wake up, everybody about the place must be on their guard." Rose enters in Scene 4, and eventually reports Frédéri’s engagement. When l'Innocent climbs high up into the hayloft in the turret, Rose, annoyed, expresses her dread that someone might fall from there onto the flagstones in the courtyard. In Scene 5, Frédéri enters, greets his mother, but takes no notice of Vivette, who is crushed. Patron Marc enters in Scene 6 with nothing negative to report about the Arlésienne--she and her family are all fine people. He tells Francet he is expected to go to Arles to make a marriage offer. In Scene 8 Balthazar, alone, notes Vivette's grief--she loves Frédéri secretly and suffers in silence, just like her grandmother did. A mélodrame (No. 5), with offstage chorus 'Grand soleil de la Provence', also introduces the theme of the

gardian A is a mounted cattle herdsman in the Camargue delta in Provence, southern France. The work is akin to that of the Mexican , the North American cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditiona ...

Mitifio, whom Balthazar notices skulking about. Mitifio reveals to Francet that the Arlésienne has been his mistress for two years, and he means to keep her. He has letters from the Arlésienne confirming his story; Francet asks to borrow them. In the final mélodrame (No. 6), Frédéri is about to go off to Arles, but Francet shows him Mitifio's letters. The chorus bursts in with a reprise of 'Grand soleil de la Provence', and Frédéri’s theme accompanies his collapse by the well. Act 2 Tableau 1: ''The Shore of the

'' in Camargue An entr'acte (No. 7: 'Pastorale', with wordless offstage chorus 'La la-la-la-la-la'), later appearing as the first movement in the Suite No. 2, sets the scene. In the following Mélodrame (№ 8) Balthazar and l’Innocent enter, and the next (№ 9) marks the exit of Rose. The mélodrame № 10 accompanies the discovery of Fréderi in the shepherd’s hut, angry because everyone is spying on him. As wordless offstage chorus sing (№ 11: the shepherds's call), Balthazar leaves, having failed to make Frédéri destroy the letters from the Arlésienne which he reads night and day. The following mélodrame (№ 12) is only six bars; l’Innocent cannot recall the story he wants to tell his brother. In the next mélodrame (№ 13, Èr dóu Guet) described as a berceuse, l’Innocent falls asleep while telling his story. The final mélodrame (№ 14: reprise of 'La la-la-la-la-la' chorus) evokes Rose’s desperation at Fréderi’s frame of mind. Tableau 2: ''The Kitchen at Castelet'' An entr'acte (No. 15: the 'Intermezzo' used in the Suite No. 2) depicts Vivette, the local girl who wants to marry Frédéri, preparing her parcels to take on the

ferry. After men prepare to go out shooting game, Rose and the others fear that Frédéri might kill himself. At the end of the act (№ 16: Final) when Frédéri decides that Vivette can help him forget his obsession, Balthazar and Rose express their relief. Intermezzo The Valse-Menuet (the 'Minuetto', No. 17) is performed between Acts 2 and 3. Act 3 Tableau 1: ''The Castelet Farm Courtyard'' An entr'acte (No. 18: 'Carillon') introduces the first scene of Act 3. In the first mélodrame (№ 19) in Scene 3, a 6/8 Andantino marks the entrance of Mère Renaude, and in the following Adagio (the 'Adagietto' of Suite No. 1) Balthazar and Renaude reminisce about old times. As all move off to eat, there is a reprise of the Andantino. Another Andantino follows the exit of Frédéri and Vivette as they declare their love (№ 21). The farandole (№ 22, Danso dei Chivau-Frus), which begins quietly and builds to a climax, sees Frédéri respond with fury to Mitifio, who has come to recover his letters. Mitifio tells Balthazar that he will run off with the girl from Arles. Tableau 2: ''The Magnanery'' A brief statement of the 'Dance of the Frisky Horses' theme is heard, then the March of the Kings is sung by the chorus, after which the two are combined (No. 23: 'Early in the morning'). Next, there is a brief reprise for chorus of the March of the Kings (№ 24: 'On a golden chariot'). In № 25, l’Innocent ‘awakens’ showing he understands his brother’s problem. In a mélodrame (№ 26) Rose is momentarily reassured as the clock strikes three. After Frédéri has leapt from the hayloft to his death on the courtyard pavement, the orchestra plays a powerful tutti version of his theme (№ 27: Final) which brings down the curtain.

Structure

Note: * The number ‘№ 5’ does not appear in the original sequence, perhaps indicating the removal of some material. Most of the pieces following this one have therefore been renumbered in blue or red. * The Valse-Menuet and Carillon were originally together designated № 17: Entr'acte A and B. The Valse-Menuet was later designated ‘Intermezzo (Minuetto)’ in the 1885 piano-vocal score, published 10 years after Bizet’s death. * № 20 is reported by musicologist Hugh Macdonald to have been a ‘Reprise de l’Intermezzo’ (i.e., of № 17: Valse-Menuet). This reprise is not present in the composer’s manuscript. Source: Piano vocal score, Choudens, Paris (ca. 1885

Suite No. 1 (1872)

1. Prélude

The suite opens with a strong, energetic theme in C minor, which is based on the Epiphany (holiday), Epiphany carol "March of the Kings", played by the violins. Afterwards, the theme is repeated by various sections. After reaching a climax, the theme fades away. It is followed by the F minor theme associated with L'Innocent (the brother of Frédéri, the hero). The Prélude concludes with the A minor theme associated with Frédéri himself.

2. Minuetto

The second movement resembles a

minuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually written in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form tha ...

in C minor. The ending of this movement is slightly expanded from the version in the incidental music.

3. Adagietto

The Adagietto is taken from the central Adagio portion of the first number in Act 3, No. 19: Mélodrame. The suite version does not include the Andantino that precedes and follows the incidental music version. At only 34 measures, the Adagietto is the shortest number in the score of either suite, but because of its slow tempo, it can last more than 3 minutes, a longer performance duration than that of the Minuetto's 162 measures. It is written in

F major F major is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat.Music Theory'. (1950). United States: Standards and Curriculum Division, Training, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 28. Its relati ...

, meter throughout. The incidental music version is scored for muted

string quartet The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...

. The scoring of the suite version is expanded to the entire string section (minus the basses), still muted.

4. Carillon

The last movement is based on No. 18: 'Carillon' from the entr'acte preceding Act 3, augmented with the Andantino from the following number, № 19: Mélodrame. A shortened version of the Carillon returns after the Andantino to round off the movement in ABA form. The Carillon portions of the music are written in

E major E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...

, meter, Allegretto moderato tempo, and feature an

ostinato In music, an ostinato (; derived from the Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces inc ...

bell-tone pattern (G, E, F) on the horns, perhaps suggesting tolling church bells, throughout. The main melody of the Carillon theme is scored for strings (and later the flutes); the other instruments for the most part play bell tones in support of the horns. The Andantino is marked 'Entrée de la Mère Renaud' ('Entrance of Mère Renaud') in the 1885 piano vocal score of the incidental music. It is sometimes designated a

siciliana The siciliana or siciliano (also known as sicilienne or ciciliano) is a musical style or genre often included as a movement within larger pieces of music starting in the Baroque music, Baroque period. It is in a slow Meter (music)#Compound mete ...

or pastorale on account of its minor key, meter, and dotted rhythms. Originally written in

C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: Cha ...

, it is here transposed up a

semitone A semitone, also called a minor second, half step, or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between ...

, the relative minor of E major, to facilitate the transition back to the Carillon theme. The main Andantino theme is initially played by the flutes, which are then joined by the oboes, and finally the saxophone. The horns then begin to insinuate themselves, quietly playing the bell theme again, in a skillful transition blending the A and B themes. The reprise of the Carillon theme follows, played first by the oboes before returning to the strings.

Suite No. 2 (1879)

1. Pastorale

The Pastorale (in A major) begins with an introduction by the

wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...

section, followed by the melody in the strings. The melodies are repeated by various sections throughout the first movement. In the suite, the opening section returns and concludes the piece. In the original version, the "central" section, which was a wordless chorus sung by women, ends the piece.

2. Intermezzo

The Intermezzo in E-Flat major features utilization of low tones and begins with the wind section. Guiraud adds twelve additional bars to the concluding section. Sometime after this second suite was prepared from the ''L'Arlésienne'' music, Guiraud extracted the Intermezzo movement, added the Latin sacred text of the Agnus Dei to it, and published it as yet another "new" work of Bizet.

3. Menuet

The

menuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually written in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that ...

in E-Flat major, which is not from ''L'Arlésienne'', but from Bizet's 1866 opera ''

'', features solos by

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

, and, later,

(this replacing the vocal parts of the original).

4. Farandole

The finale, the farandole, incorporates the theme of the ''March of the Kings'' once again, this time in D minor. This is an expanded combination of numbers 21 and 23-24 of the original incidental music, in which the farandole (in D major) appears first on its own. It is afterwards briefly combined with the march.

Recordings

Audio

Incidental Music Suites

Video

Films and television adaptations that use Bizet's music

Notable uses

Music from the ''L'Arlésienne'' suites was played extensively in " Hammer into Anvil", an episode of ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a British television series created by Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan portrays Number Six (The Prisoner), Number Six, an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a The Village (The Prisoner), mysteri ...

''. The "Carillon" and "Farandole" were used on two episodes of Disney Junior's ''

Little Einsteins ''Little Einsteins'' is an American Animated series, animated children's television series developed by Douglas Wood (writer), Douglas Wood and based on the Baby Einstein line of videos. Produced by The Baby Einstein Company (at the time owned ...

''. The "Carillon" was used in a very successful media campaign in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, launched in the late 1980s by the local importers of

Finlandia ''Finlandia'', Op. 26, is a tone poem by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was written in 1899 and revised in 1900. The piece was composed for the Press Celebrations of 1899, a covert protest against increasing censorship from the R ...

vodka. It featured French-born photographer Guy Paizy playing the role of a sophisticated, womanizing classical orchestra conductor. The campaign is still remembered in the island nation, almost two decades after its inception.

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

n dictator

Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...

adopted the First Suite's "Prelude" as a military march during his reign. The Japanese group Mihimaru GT uses the theme of the "Farandole" for their song "Theme of mihimaLIVE 2". American songwriter, composer, and arranger Ben Homer created a jazz arrangement "Bizet Has His Day" from Georges Bizet's "Farandole" from ''L’Arlésienne'', (1945).

Jazz musician This is a list of jazz musicians by instrument based on existing articles on Wikipedia. Do not enter names that lack articles. Do not enter names that lack sources. Accordion * Kamil Běhounek (1916–1983) * Luciano Biondini (born 1971) * Asm ...

Bob James arranged and recorded a jazz version of "Farandole" on his album '' Two'' (1975). French choreographer

Roland Petit Roland Petit (13 January 192410 July 2011) was a French ballet company director, choreographer and dancer. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets. Life and work The son of shoe designer Ro ...

created a ballet ''L'Arlésienne'' in 1974 which has been performed throughout the world, based on Daudet's short story and set against a Van Gogh landscape.List of choreographic work by Roland Petit. Official site of Roland Petit
accessed 7 October 2014. A rock version of "Farandole" appears in the ''

Catherine Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Ch ...

'' video game by

Atlus is a Japanese video game developer, video game publisher, publisher, Arcade game, arcade manufacturer and distribution company based in Tokyo. A subsidiary of Sega, the company is known for the ''Megami Tensei'', ''Persona (series), Persona'' ...

. The song tune is also used in a character song called "England's Evil Summoning Song" from an anime called '' Hetalia: Axis Powers'' and was performed by Noriaki Sugiyama, who provided vocals for Arthur Kirkland/England. According to an interview with Noriaki in Hetalia Character CD Perfect Guide, the lyrics were entirely made up by the performer as the performance went on.

References

External links

* * ''L'Arlésienne'' (Daudet), complete play in French, Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnFbr>
* ''L'Arlésienne'' (Daudet), complete play in French, with Bizet's musical sketches, Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnFbr>
* ''L'Arlésienne'' (Daudet), complete play in English,

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

br>
* ''Lou tambourin'' (Vidal), book about the tambourin, with traditional music collection, in Provençal/French,

See pages 246, 248, & 258 for tunes used by Bizet * Harms Historical Percussion (website--more about the Tambourin)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arlesienne Compositions by Georges Bizet Incidental music Orchestral suites 1872 compositions Adaptations of works by Alphonse Daudet