Delibes << duh LEEB >>, Léo (1836-1891), was a French composer of works for the stage. During his lifetime, he was best known for his light operas. Today, his reputation rests on three works—the ballets Coppelia (1870) and Sylvia (1876) and the opera Lakme (1883). Music from both ballets has been adapted into popular orchestral suites. Lakme contains the famous “Bell Song,” an aria for coloratura soprano. The three compositions reflect Delibes’s brilliant orchestral writing, rhythmic subtlety, and easily remembered melodies. His other works include music for an 1882 revival of Victor Hugo‘s play Le Roi s’amuse and a collection of 15 songs, published in 1885 or 1886. The collection includes the popular “The Girls of Cadiz.”
Loading the player...The Flower Duet by Léo Delibes
Delibes was born on Feb. 21, 1836, in St. Germain du Val, near Le Mans. His full name was Clement Philibert Léo Delibes. He studied composition at the Paris Conservatory from 1848 to 1852 and composed his first work, an operetta, in 1855. Delibes worked as an organist for a number of years, but he was primarily concerned with composing operas and ballets. He died on Jan. 16, 1891.
