"Lakme : Plasson / Toulouse Capitole Orchestra, Dessay, Van Dam, etc (1997 Stereo)(2CD)"

If composer Leo Delibes were alive today, he would be a very wealthy man. He composed one of the most popular arias ever written--one that in modern times has appeared in hundreds of television commercials and even a number of films. What is it about the "flower duet," correctly known as "Dome epais_" that sends even the popular music listener into swoons? The truth be told, it is a ravishingly beautiful aria. The irony is that while 'Lakme' has been performed over 1500 times, it is still not a popular opera today. This recording of the complete 'Lakme' ought to introduce those who love the famous aria to an entire opera of charm and delicacy. The story of the Hindu princess Lakme and her love for the secular white Gerald, is the stuff soap operas are made of. Add her father the Brahmin Nilakantha, the trusty servant Mallika, the exotic backdrop of colonial India, and you've got a mystical romantic tale evocatively set to music, complete with lush orchestrations and soaring melodic lines. Under the expert leadership of conductor Michel Plasson, phenomenal singers Natalie Dessay, Gregory Kunde, and Jose van Dam give stellar performances.