Flower Duet
From Lakme
Chamber Music - Sheet Music

Chamber Music Flute 1, Flute 2, soprano

SKU: PR.114410190

From Lakme. Composed by Clément Philibert Delibes. Arranged by Margaret Baxtresser Jeanne Baxtresser. Sws. Classical. Set of parts. With Standard notation. Composed 1998. 8+2 pages. Duration 3:45. Theodore Presser Company #114-41019. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.114410190).

ISBN 9781598060324. UPC: 680160014972. 9x12 inches.

JEANNE BAXTRESSER has held principal positions with three major orchestras, culminating in her 15-year tenure as Solo Flutist of the New York Philharmonic. Making her heralded debut with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 14, Ms. Baxtresser began her professional career as Principal Flutist of the Montreal Symphony immediately following her graduation from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Julius Baker. She was subsequently appointed Principal Flute of the Toronto Symphony before being invited by Music Director Zubin Mehta to join the New York Philharmonic. Ms. Baxtresser appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic on more than fifty occasions, and has been featured as a soloist across North America and Europe.Recipient of the National Flute Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for significant, lasting contributions to the flute world, Ms. Baxtresser was also awarded the National Medal of Arts from the Interlochen Center for the Arts and serves as a member of the Honorary Board of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She is recognized internationally as a leading recording artist, author, and lecturer.Ms. Baxtresser is in great demand as a teacher, and many of her students occupy principal and section positions in major orchestras throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. While in New York, Ms. Baxtresser served on the faculties of The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. In 1998, she was appointed University Professor at Carnegie Mellon University.Ms. Baxtresser’s exceptional career as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician has produced numerous recordings, including New York Legends – Jeanne Baxtresser (Cala), Jeanne Baxtresser – A Collection of My Favorites (MSR Classics), and Chamber Music for Flute (Cala). She has recorded many of the major symphonic works with the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, and Kurt Masur.Ms. Baxtresser’s acclaimed first book, Orchestral Excerpts for Flute with Piano Accompaniment (Presser), has been re-released in a new revised edition. This book and a companion CD, Orchestral Excerpts for Flute with Spoken Commentary (Summit), have become a vital part of flute pedagogy. Her subsequent book, Great Flute Duos from the Orchestral Repertoire (Presser), was named the 2004 winner of the National Flute Association’s Newly Published Music Competition.Website: jeannebaxtresser.com MARGARET BAXTRESSER, pianist, performed in the United States and internationally, appearing in concert as a recitalist and as a soloist, including performances with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony.After winning the prestigious Naumburg Award, she also received the Carnegie Hall and Michaels Award. She studied with noted teachers Olga Samaroff Stokowski and Charle de Bodo. Many composers, including Vincent Persichetti, Ned Rorem, and Henry Cowell wrote new works for her.She was Professor Emeritus at Kent State University, where she taught piano for twenty-five years.Ms. Baxtresser’s eldest daughter is flutist Jeanne Baxtresser.
Performance Notes by Jeanne BaxtresserThe duet “Viens, Mallika” from Léo Delibes’ opera Lakmé is one of the most enchanting pieces of music I have ever heard. Realizing it would make an equally beautiful duet for two flutes, I made this transcription to have the pleasure of playing this sensuous music with fellow flutists.The opera takes place in India during the time of the British Raj. The duet occurs very early in the opera when Lakmé, an Indian princess, and her attendant, Mallika, sing of the “enthralling loveliness” around them as they gather lotus flowers in an exotic garden by a little river. The mood is one of complete contentment and harmony inspired by the beauty of nature which surrounds them.Throughout the piece, the tone should be sweet and pure with a blending quality that enables the two flutes to sing together rather than competing tonally. Due to the expressive richness of the many parallel thirds, the voices should move together as two figure skaters dancing together on the ice. The melody of Lakmé (1st Flute) depends on Mallika (2nd Flute) for its true beauty to be realized.I recommend a gentle vibrato on the longer notes and no vibrato on the 16th notes. This will keep the sound of the flutes relaxed and natural.It is important to observe the tempo markings to maintain the natural flow of the phrase. The melody is so seductive, one is tempted to play it slowly just to make it last longer! But the beauty of the piece is its simplicity, and one must resist the impulse to adorn it with too much interpretation.In the middle section (beginning at bar 34), the tempo presses forward and the mood is a bit more agitated. This section can be played in a recitative style with a very expressive sound and line.Make every attempt to play the written dynamics so the melody remains fresh and alluring, even with all the repetitions.I have arranged this duet so it can be performed with a soprano voice singing the part of Lakmé (1st Flute), and a flutist playing the part of Mallika (2nd Flute). For this reason, the transcription has been kept in the original key. In this version the flutist (playing the 2nd part) should match the timbre and volume of the voice so that the two lines are always equal in importance and beauty.This exquisite duet has universal appeal, and I am delighted it can be added to the flutists’ repertoire. TranslationUnder the dense canopy of jasmine entwined with roseLet us go down to the riverBanks gay with flowersIn the cool of the morningCome, let us go down togetherGently we follow the enchanting streamAnd trailing a careless handBreaking the trembling flow of the currentWe will reach the edge of the sleeping waterTo the sound of birds singingUnder the dense canopy of white jasmineWe will thither togetherBut I know not what sudden fear overcomes meWhen my father goes alone to their accursèd cityI tremble with fright!May the god Ganesh protect him!Let us gather blue lotus at the lagoonWhere snowy-winged swans blithely frolicYes, let us gather blue lotus near the snowy-winged swans—Translated by J. Lambert.