L'Arlésienne (Bizet)

L'Arlésienne is incidental music composed by Georges Bizet for Alphonse Daudet's drama of the same name, usually translated as The Girl from Arles. It was first performed on 30 September 1872 at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris.[1] Bizet's music consists of 27 numbers for chorus and small orchestra, ranging from pieces of background music (mélodrames) only a few measures long, to entr'actes.[1] The score achieves powerful dramatic ends with the most economic of means.[2] 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 orchestra, have become some of Bizet's most popular compositions.

For the opera by Francesco Cilea, see L'arlesiana.
L'Arlésienne
Incidental music by Georges Bizet
The composer
KeyB major then changes to D major
Based on"L'Arlésienne"
by Alphonse Daudet
Performed30 September 1872 (1872-09-30): Paris
Movements27
Scoring
  • chorus
  • small orchestra

History

Composition history
Alphonse Daudet
(1840-1897)

In July 1872, Léon Carvalho, director of the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris, commissioned Georges Bizet to compose incidental music for his production of Alphonse Daudet's play L'Arlésienne.[1] 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 du 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 as a consequence of amour fou.[1]

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.[1] 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 overture, an intermezzo (the "Minuetto"), three entr'actes, one longer mélodrame (the "Adagietto"), and the Farandole, are distinctive and lengthy enough to stand on their own outside of their stage setting.

The drama is set on the Rhône river, in Camargue, south of Arles, in southwestern Provence. To help give the composition Provençal color, Bizet used three existing tunes from a folk-music collection found in the book Lou tambourin (The Tambourin, Avignon, 1864) by writer and tambourinaire François Vidal:[1]

  • № 3: Danso dei Chivau-Frus (Dance of the Frisky Horses)—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 (Air of the Watch?)—heard in the form of a brief berceuse in a mélodrame (No. 13) in Act 2.
  • № 31: Marcho dei Rèi (March of the Kings)—a Provençal Christmas carol from Avignon celebrating the Epiphany and the Three Kings; also identified as Marche de Turenne, supposedly composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully 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.[1] Bizet's music is scored for a chorus of 24 singers and an orchestra of only 26 players.[1] Bizet played the harmonium (alternately with his publisher, Antony Choudens, and associate, Ernest Guiraud) backstage at the theater in support of the chorus.[3] The play was staged as a last-minute replacement for another play, which had been banned by the censors, and the audience was less than favourably disposed to the new play.[4] The premiere was a failure and the production closed after 19 performances.[1] 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. 23bis (1872)

Bizet was confident that the best numbers from the incidental music, arranged for a full symphony orchestra, would be successful in the concert hall, for he planned a five movement suite as follows: 1. Prélude, 2. Carillon, 3. Adagietto, 4. Minuetto, 5. Final (unidentified number).[1] Later he exchanged the positions of the 2nd and 4th numbers and jettisoned the final one, leaving a four movement orchestral suite:[1]

  1. Prélude
  2. Minuetto
  3. Adagietto
  4. Carillon

The order of the movements does not correspond to that of the incidental music version in either the original or final scenario, but conforms rather to the character and tempo conventions of a short symphony. The Prélude and Adagietto closely resemble their original versions except for their expanded instrumentation, which particularly benefits the Adagietto with its new massed strings sonority. The Minuetto structurally gains only a six bar addition to its coda. The Carillon (originally No. 18), on the other hand, is considerably enlarged by the addition of the andantino that frames the Adagio in No. 19, 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 (i. e., French: L'Arlésienne, 2me Suite d'orchestre), it would be known as L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1 (French: L'Arlésienne, 1re Suite d'orchestre).[1] It was first performed on 10 November 1872 under Jules Pasdeloup of the Concerts populaires[1] in the Cirque d'Hiver with great success.

L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2 (1879)

L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1 became so popular that the publisher Choudens commissioned a second set in 1879, four years after Bizet's untimely death. His friend Ernest Guiraud 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:

  1. Pastorale
  2. Intermezzo
  3. Minuet
  4. Farandole

The choral parts of the Pastorale were arranged for orchestra. This two part movement acquires an ABA form, like the Carillon movement, by a repeat of the opening music. The Minuet was taken from Scènes bohémiennes, a suite of material originally composed for Bizet's 1866 opera La jolie fille de Perth.[1] The Farandole (the name of a Provençal dance) is a condensation of several numbers of the incidental music in which, once again, the choral parts were arranged for orchestra. Although L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2 is assumed to be Guiraud's work (his name is not mentioned in any scores[1]) and is 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 the second suite took place on 21 March 1880 when Jules Pasdeloup again led the orchestra of the Concerts populaires.[5]

L'Arlésienne, incidental music (1885)

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 again greeted coldly initially, the production was ultimately a great success. A new version of the score for full orchestra was used, in which some numbers from the suites, now expanded both in content and instrumentation (especially, for example, № 18 'Carillon'), replaced the original small ensemble orchestrations of the 1872 version.[1] A few numbers were omitted, duplicated, truncated, or exchanged positions.[1]

Performance history

L'Arlésienne, incidental music

Julia Bartet in the first role of her professional career as Vivette in the premiere of L'Arlésienne (1872). From the Musée Lambinet, Versailles.
Role 1872 Premiere 1885 Revival
Production
 Director Léon Carvalho Paul Porel
Designer Charles-Antoine Cambon
Philippe Chaperon
Jean-Louis Chéret
Auguste Rubé		 Philippe Chaperon
Marcel Jambon
Alfred Lemeunier
Auguste Rubé
Conductor Marc Constantin Édouard Colonne
Cast
 Francet Ernest Cornaglia Ernest Cornaglia
Frédéri Abel Albert Lambert
Balthazar Jean-Auguste Parade Paul Mounet
Marc Colson
Mitifio Régnier Arthur Rebel
L'équipage Pierre Lacroix
Un valet Moisson
Rose Anaïs Fargueil Aimée Tessandier
Renaud Clémence Alexis Irma Crosnier
L'Innocent Morand Léonie Yahne
Vivette Julia Bartet Zélie Hadamard
Une servante Leroy

L'Arlésienne, Suite d'orchestre

Date Location Conductor Orchestra
1872 November 10 Paris Jules Pasdeloup Concerts populaire
1873 November 9 Paris Édouard Colonne Concert National
1875 February 21 Paris Édouard Deldevez Concerts du Conservatoire
1876 October 6 New York Theodore Thomas


Instrumentation
A group of tambourinaires of Aix-en-Provence playing the tambourin (a low-pitched tenor drum) with the right hand, and the galoubet (a pipe) with the left.

The score of L'Arlésienne makes novel use of the saxophone, at the time of composition just being introduced after its invention.

The specific drum to use in the percussion section is an issue of some controversy. 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", a low-pitched tenor drum, not to be confused with the tambourine. In the absence of a genuine tambourin, a tom drum 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 (tambour).[5] In Provence, the tambourin is usually played in conjunction with the galoubet (a small pipe), making this combination a unique Provençal pipe and tabor. This is the effect Bizet was aiming for when he set the tune "Danso dei Chivau-Frus", from a collection by François Vidal, a player and historian of the tambourin. This tune is used in the Farandole and evokes the sound of tambourinaires playing during a festival celebrating Saint Eligius, patron saint of horses, farriers, and husbandry. Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein are two examples of prominent conductors who used a tambourine in one or more 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 a "tambour", and although a tambourin could just as well be employed here also, many orchestras use a snare drum.

Section Incidental Music[1] Suite No. 1[1] Suite No. 2[5]
Strings
 • 4 violins I
• 3 violins II
• 1 viola
• 5 cellos
• 2 double basses		 • violins I
• violins II
• violas
• cellos
• double basses		 • violins I
• violins II
• violas
• cellos
• double basses
Woodwinds
 • 2 flutes (second doubling piccolo)
• 1 oboe (also cor anglais)
• 1 clarinet
• 2 bassoons
• 1 alto saxophone		 • 2 flutes
• 2 oboes (second doubling cor anglais)
• 2 clarinets
• 2 bassoons
• 1 alto saxophone		 • 2 flutes (second doubling piccolo)
• 2 oboes (second doubling cor anglais)
• 2 clarinets
• 2 bassoons
• 1 alto saxophone
Brass
 2 French horns • 4 French horns
• 2 trumpets
• 2 cornets
• 3 trombones		 • 4 French horns
• 2 trumpets
• 2 cornets
• 3 trombones
Percussion
 timpani (also tambourin provençal) • timpani
• drum		 • timpani
• tambourin
• bass drum
• cymbals
Additional
 piano (also harmonium) harp or piano harp or piano

Incidental music (1872)
The title page to the score of the incidental music to L'Arlésienne, published by Choudens, Paris (1885).

Main Characters[1]

  • 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, obsessively in love with the Arlésienne
  • L'Innocent (13), Frédéri's brother; regarded as having a developmental disability
  • Balthazar (70), a shepherd
  • La Renaud (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 Rhône sailor
  • Mitifio (30), a Gardian

Synopsis

The Overture (№ 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 at Le Castelet

In Scene 1, Francet Mamaï tells Balthazar of Frédéri’s passion for a girl from Arles. Both agree that Frédéri would be better off marrying a local girl, such as Vivette Renauld. L’Innocent, whose theme dominates the first mélodrame (№ 2) and the next two numbers, wants Balthazar to finish his story in which a wolf attacks a goat.

The next mélodrame (№ 3) links the first and second scenes of the play, as Balthazar, continues telling the wolf story to l’Innocent. The third mélodrame (№ 4) accompanies an exchange between Vivette, Rose Mamaï’s god-daughter, and Balthazar, where the shepherd says he thinks something is stirring in l’Innocent’s mind.

After a gay offstage chorus, a mélodrame (№ 5), introduces the theme of Mitifio, who reveals that the Arlésienne has been his mistress for two years. In the mélodrame and final chorus (№ 6), Frédéri is about to go off to Arles, but Francet tells him what Mitifio said. The chorus bursts in with a reprise of "Grand soleil de la Provence", and Frédéri’s theme accompanies his collapse by the well.

An illustration for the revival of L'Arlésienne at the Théâtre de l'Odéon in 1885. Vivette, Frédéri, and l'Innocent are shown in Act 2, Tableau 1, Scene 6, just after Mélodrame № 13.

Act 2

Tableau 1: At the Étang de Vaccarès

The Pastorale (№ 7), the first movement in the second suite, with offstage chorus and accompaniment, sets the scene. In the following Mélodrame (№ 8) Balthazar and l’Innocent enter (using the latter’s theme), and the next (№ 9) marks the exit of Rose. 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), 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. A nine-bar mélodrame (№ 14) evokes Rose’s desperation at Fréderi’s frame of mind.

Tableau 2: The kitchen at Castelet

The next music (the Intermezzo used in the second suite) depicts Vivette, the local girl who wants to marry Frédéri, preparing her parcels to take on the Rhône ferry (№ 15). 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) when Frédéri decides that Vivette can help him forget his obsession, Balthazar and Rose express their relief.

Intermezzo

Act 2 is followed by the Minuet (№ 17) and the Carillon (№ 18), both used in the first suite.

Act 3

Tableau 1: The Castelet farm courtyard

A 6/8 Andantino Mélodrame (№ 19) marks the entrance of Mère Renaud in Scene III, and in the following Adagio (the Adagietto in the first Suite) Balthazar and Renaud 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 (№ 20). The farandole (№ 21, Danso dei Chivau-Frus) which begins quietly and builds to a climax sees Frédéri respond with fury to Mitifio who has come to tell Balthazar that he will run off with the girl from Arles (№ 22).

Tableau 2: The Magnanery

The farandole is heard, then the March of the Kings is sung by the chorus, after which the two are combined (№ 23); there is reprise for chorus of the March of the Kings (№ 24). In (№ 25) l’Innocent ‘awakens’ showing he understands his brother’s problem. In mélodrame (№ 26) Rose is momentarily reassured as the clock strikes three, while the Final is a powerful tutti version of Frédéri’s theme (№ 27) which brings down the curtain.

Structure of the 1872 original version
The first page of Bizet's manuscript for L'Arlésienne in the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The column on the left lists the twenty-six instrumentalists of the premiere production.
Act No. Title Bars Notes Suites
Prélude
1
 Prélude
144
 • Marcho dei Rèi (5 times)
• Frédéri's theme
• L'Innocent's theme
Suite 1, № 1
'Prélude'
Acte 1
Le Castelet
2
 Mélodrame
7
 L'Innocent's theme
3
 Mélodrame
11
 L'Innocent's theme
4
 Mélodrame
10
 L'Innocent's theme
5
 Chœur et Mélodrame
34
 • "Grand soleil de la Provence" (chorus)
• Mitifio's theme
6
 Mélodrame et Chœur final
31
 • Mitifio's theme
• "Grand soleil de la Provence" (chorus)
• Frédéri's theme
Acte 2, Tableau 1
L'Étang de Vaccarès
7
 Entr'acte et Chœur: Pastorale
108
 • Entr'acte (orchestral)
• "La la-la-la-la-la" (chorus)
Suite 2, № 1
'Pastorale'
8
 Mélodrame
9
 L'Innocent's theme
9
 Mélodrame
14
 L'Innocent's theme
10
 Mélodrame
10
 Frédéri's theme
11
 Chœur
10
 The shepherds' call (chorus)
12
 Mélodrame
6
 Frédéri's theme
13
 Mélodrame
18
 Èr dóu Guet ("Air provençal", l'Innocent's lullaby)
14
 Mélodrame et Chœur
35
 "La la-la-la-la-la" (chorus)
Acte 2, Tableau 2
La cuisine de Castelet
15
 Entr'acte
53
 • Maestoso
• Vivette's theme
• Maestoso
Suite 2, № 2
'Intermezzo'
16
 Final
14
 Vivette's theme
Intermezzo
17
 Valse-Menuet
156
 Minuetto
Suite 1, № 2
'Minuetto'
Acte 3, Tableau 1
La cour du Castelet
18
 Entr'acte: Carillon
55
 Carillon (short: no andantino, no repeat)
Suite 1, № 4
'Carillon'
19
 Mélodrame
99
 • Mère Renaud's theme
• Adagietto
• Mère Renaud's theme
Suite 1, № 3
'Adagietto'
20
 Reprise de l'intermezzo
48
 Minuetto (reprise)
21
 Mélodrame
11
 Vivette's theme
22
 Farandole et Chœur
108
 Danso dei Chivau-Frus (with chorus)
Suite 2, № 4
'Farandole'
Acte 3, Tableau 2
La Magnanerie
23
 Entr'acte et Chœur
127
 • Frédéri's theme
• L'Innocent's theme
• Danso dei Chivau-Frus
• Marcho dei Rèi (chorus)
• Danso dei Chivau-Frus + Marcho dei Rèi (chorus)
24
 Chœur
8
 Marcho dei Rèi (chorus)
25
 Mélodrame
31
 L'Innocent's theme (l'Innocent's awakening)
26
 Mélodrame
24
 Frédéri's theme
27
 Final
7
 Frédéri's theme
Structure of the 1885 revival version

Source: Piano vocal score, Choudens, Paris (ca. 1885)

Act No. Title Bars Tempo Bars Prominent Instruments Themes Suites
Overture
1
 Ouverture
148
 Allegro deciso—Tempo di Marcia
17
 Strings Marcho dei Rèi
Suite 1, № 1
'Prélude'
17
 Woodwinds
17
 Drum, orchestra
Andantino
17
 Bassoons, horns, cellos
Allegro deciso—Tempo di Marcia
25
 Orchestra
Andante
23
 Saxophone, clarinet, orchestra L'Innocent's theme
Un peu moins lent
32
 Violins, orchestra Frédéri's theme
Acte 1
Le Castelet
2
 Mélodrame
7
 Andante
7
 Orchestra L'Innocent's theme
3
 Mélodrame
11
 Andante
11
 Orchestra L'Innocent's theme
4
 Mélodrame
10
 Andantino sostenuto
10
 Orchestra L'Innocent's theme
5
 Chœur et Mélodrame
35
 Allegro moderato
20
 Chorus Grand soleil de la Provence
Largo
15
 Saxophone, horn Mitifio's theme
6
 Mélodrame et Chœur final
31
 Largo
5
 Saxophone, horn Mitifio's theme
Allegro
10
 Orchestra Grand soleil de la Provence
Allegro deciso
8
 Chorus
Plus lent
8
 Orchestra Frédéri's theme
Acte 2, Tableau 1
L'Étang de Vaccarès
7
 Entr'acte et Chœur: Pastorale
108
 Andante sostenuto assai
44
 Orchestra Pastorale
Suite 2, № 1
'Pastorale'
Andantino quasi allegretto
64
 Chorus, piccolo La la-la-la-la-la
8
 Mélodrame
9
 Andantino
9
 Orchestra L'Innocent's theme
9
 Mélodrame
14
 Allegretto
14
 Orchestra L'Innocent's theme
10
 Mélodrame
9
 Andante
9
 Orchestra Frédéri's theme
11
 Chœur
10
 Adagio
10
 Chorus, orchestra The shepherd's call
12
 Mélodrame
6
 Andante
6
 Orchestra Frédéri's theme
13
 Mélodrame
18
 Andante assai
18
 Orchestra Èr dóu Guet ("Air provençal")
14
 Mélodrame
9
 Allegro
9
 Orchestra
Acte 2, Tableau 2
La cuisine de Castelet
15
 Entr'acte
53
 Maestoso
15
 Orchestra Maestoso
Suite 2, № 2
'Intermezzo'
Allegro moderato
30
 Clarinet, saxophone, orchestra Vivette's theme
Maestoso
6
 Orchestra Maestoso
Beaucoup plus lent
2
 Orchestra Maestoso
16
 Final
14
 Quasi-andante
14
 Orchestra Vivette's theme
Intermezzo
17
 Valse-Menuet
162
 Allegro giocoso
162
 Orchestra Valse-Menuet
Suite 1, № 2
'Minuetto'
Acte 3, Tableau 1
La cour du Castelet
18
 Entr'acte: Carillon
148
 Allegretto moderato
60
 Horns, orchestra Carillon
Suite 1, № 4
'Carillon'
Andantino
45
 Woodwinds, orchestra Mère Renaud's theme
Allegretto moderato
43
 Horns, orchestra Carillon
19
 Mélodrame
99
 Andantino
43
 Orchestra Mère Renaud's theme
Adagio
34
 Violins, violas, cellos Adagietto
Suite 1, № 3
'Adagietto'
Andantino
22
 Orchestra Mère Renaud's theme
20
 Mélodrame
11
 Andantino espressivo
11
 Orchestra Vivette's theme
21
 Farandole
68
 Allegro vivo e deciso
68
 Tambourin, piccolo, orchestra Danso dei Chivau-Frus
Suite 2, № 4
'Farandole'
Acte 3, Tableau 2
La Magnanerie
22
 Entr'acte
34
 Adagio
34
 Orchestra Adagietto
23
 Chœur
78
 Allegretto giocoso
24
 Tambourin, piccolo, orchestra Danso dei Chivau-Frus
Suite 2, № 4
'Farandole'
Tempo di marcia molto moderato
33
 Chorus Marcho dei Rèi
Allegretto giocoso
21
 Tambourin, piccolo, chorus Danso dei Chivau-Frus
Marcho dei Rèi
24
 Chœur
9
 Large
9
 Chorus Marcho dei Rèi
25
 Mélodrame
31
 Andante assai
31
 Orchestra L'Innocent's theme
26
 Mélodrame
24
 Adagio
24
 Orchestra Frédéri's theme
27
 Final
7
 Large
7
 Orchestra Frédéri's theme

Suite No. 1 (1872)
The title page to the score of the first suite from L'Arlésienne, published by Choudens, Paris (after 1879).

The suite opens with a strong, energetic theme, which is based on the 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 theme associated with L'Innocent (the brother of Frédéri, the hero). The Prélude concludes with the theme associated with Frédéri himself. The second movement resembles a minuet, while the third is more emotional and muted. The last movement, Carillon, features a repeating bell-tone pattern on the horns, mimicking a peal of church bells.

Movements

{ \key c \minor \tempo "Allegro deciso" 4=104 \time 4/4 \relative c' { r2 c4\ff-. g4-.| c4( c8) [r16 d16] \acciaccatura f8 ees8 [r16 d16 ees8 r16 c16]| g'4( g8) [r16 ees16] f4-. g4-.| aes8-. g8-. f8-. ees8 d4-. g4-.| f8-. ees8-. d8-. ees8-. c4-. g4-.| c4( c8) [r16 d16] \acciaccatura f8 ees8 [r16 d16 ees8 r16 c16]| g'4( g8) [r16 ees16] f4-. g4-.| aes8-. g8-. f8-. ees8-. ees4-. d4-.| c4( c8) [ r16 d16] d4-. d4-.| ees-. d8[ r16 c16] d4-. ees4-.| f4( f8) [ r16 ees16] f4-. g4-.| c,4-. d8-. ees8-. f8-. ees8-. d8-. c8-.| c8-.[ b8-. g8-. r16 d'16] d4-. d4-.| ees4-. d8[ r16 c16] d4-. ees4-.| f4( f8) [ r16 ees16] f4-. g4-.| aes8-. g8-. f8-. ees8-. ees4-. d4-.| c4( c8) } }
  • II. Minuet, Allegro giocoso (The ending of this movement is slightly expanded from the version in the incidental music.)
{ \tempo "Allegro giocoso" 4 = 184 \clef treble \key c \minor \time 3/4 r4 r g'\ff( g'')-. g''-. g''-. g'' \acciaccatura aes''8 g''( f'') g''-. aes''-. g''4 \acciaccatura aes''8 g''( f'') g''-. aes''-. \break bes''4-. c'''8( d''') es'''-. d'''-. c'''-. bes''-. aes''-. g''-. f''-. es''-. d''( c'') bes'-. aes'-. g'4-. aes'8-. bes'-. c''4-. d''-. bes'-. }
  • III. Adagietto (In the incidental music, this number is preceded and followed by a melodrama that, in the suite, forms the central section of the concluding Carillon. For this purpose it is transposed up a semitone.)
{ \clef treble \key d \minor \time 3/4 \tempo "Adagio" 4 = 40 \new Voice = "melody" { << { \voiceOne R2. r4 r4 a'4( } \new Voice { \voiceTwo c'4 \pp c'2 c'4 c'2 } >> \oneVoice bes'2 a'4 g'2 \tuplet 5/4 { a'16 bes' a' g' a' } c''8 bes'4 bes'8 \slashedGrace bes' a'16 g' a' c'' a'4 g') a'\( \break g'2 a'4\< bes'2 c''8 d'' e''4 e'' \tuplet 5/4 { f''16 g'' f'' e'' f'' } a''4\!( a''16) g''\> f'' e'' g'' f'' c'' a'\! bes'2 \pp a'4 g'2\) } }
{ \clef treble \key cis \minor \time 3/4 \tempo "Allegretto moderato" 4 = 104 \new Voice = "melody" { gis'-^ e'-^ fis'-^ gis'-^ e'-^ fis'-^ gis'-^ e'-^ fis'-^ gis'-^ e'-^ fis'-^ << { \voiceOne b''2^"VI." ^\ff \tuplet 3/2 { fis''8 b'' fis'' } } \new Voice { \voiceTwo gis'4-^ e'-^ fis'-^ } >> \break << { \voiceOne e''2 b'4 } \new Voice { \voiceTwo gis'4-^ e'-^ fis'-^-"etc." } >> \oneVoice cis''8( dis'') e'' gis'' fis'' dis'' b'8( cis'') dis''( cis'') b' fis' } }

Suite No. 2 (1879)
The title page to the score of the second suite from L'Arlésienne, published by Choudens, Paris (1879).

The second suite begins with an introduction by the wind 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. The second movement intermezzo 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. The menuet, which is not from L'Arlésienne, but from Bizet's 1866 opera The Fair Maid of Perth, features solos by harp, flute, and, later, saxophone (this replacing the vocal parts of the original); it is the most subdued and emotional movement. The finale, the farandole, incorporates the theme of the March of the Kings once again. This is an expanded combination of numbers 21 and 23-24 of the original incidental music, in which the farandole appears first on its own. It is afterwards briefly combined with the march.

Movements

{ \key a \major \tempo "Andante sostenuto assai" 4=80 \time 4/4 \relative a'' { << \clef bass \relative { e2( e4) r4 e2( e4) r4} \\ \relative { a,2\sfz\>( a8\!) r8 r4 a2\sfz\>( a8\!) r8 r4} \\ \relative { r4 e4\ff-> e'4->( e8) r8 r4 e,4\ff-> e'4->( e8) r8} >> \clef treble a,2\ff->( b8 cis8 e,8 fis8)| gis4.->( a8 b8 cis8 e,8 fis8)| gis4.->(a16 cis16 fis8 e16 d16 cis8 b16 a16)| b8\( cis16 b16 fis8 gis16 a16 b4( b8)\) r8| b2->( cis8 d8 fis,8 gis8)| ais4.->( b8 cis8 d8 fis,8 gis8)| ais4.->( b16 d16 gis8 fis16 e16 d8 cis16 b16)| a8\( b16 a16 fis8 e16 fis16 a4( a8)\) r8 } }
{ \clef treble \key c \minor \time 4/4 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Andante moderato ma con moto" 4 = 70 es'2-> \fff d'4-> bes-> g4.-> a8-> bes4-> c'8-> d'8-> es'4-> d'8-> es'-> f'4-> g'-> es'4.-> d'8-> c'4-> r \break \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Allegro moderato" 4 = 116 g'2^"Sax."\( \p as'4 g' c''2 bes'4 g' es'4 d'8 es'8 f'4. \grace as'16 g'8 f'2~ f'4\) r4 }
{ \clef treble \key c \minor \time 3/4 \tempo "Andantino quasi alegretto" 4 = 72 \new Voice = "melody" { << { \voiceOne R2 R2 } \new Voice { \voiceTwo es8^"Hfe." \pp bes es' bes g' bes es bes es' bes g' bes } >> \oneVoice g''4^"Fl."\( g''8. f''16 es'' f'' g'' as'' bes''8 g'' es''' bes'' g'''\) r8 f''4( f''8. g''16 f'' es'' d'' c'') \break bes'8( d'' f'' d'' bes'') r8 es''4\( es'' f''16 es'' d'' es'' f''8\< g'' as'' bes'' c'''\)\! r8 f''4\( \pp f'' \slashedGrace g''16 f'' e'' f'' g'' es''4 es''8\) r8 r4 } }
{ \clef treble \key d \minor \time 4/4 \tempo "Allegro deciso (Tempo di marcia)" 4 = 104 r2 d''4 \ff a' d''4.. e''16 f''8. e''16 f''8. d''16 a''4 r8 f'' g''4 a'' bes''8 a'' g'' f'' e''4 a'' \break g''8 f'' e'' f'' d''4 a'4 d''4.. e''16 f''8. e''16 f''8. d''16 a''4 r8 f'' g''4 a'' bes''8 a'' g'' f'' f''4 e'' d''~ d''8 r8 \bar "||" }
{ \clef treble \key d \major \time 2/4 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Allegro vivo e deciso" 4 = 120 s s8 d'''8 \ppp cis'''-. d'''-. e'''-. fis'''-. e'''-. d'''-. cis'''-. b''-. cis'''-. d'''-. e'''-. cis'''-. d'''16( cis''' d''' e''') d'''8-. d'''-. \break cis'''-. d'''-. e'''-. fis'''-. e'''-. d'''-. cis'''-. b''-. cis'''-. d'''-. e'''-. cis'''-. d'''4 r8 }

Recordings

Audio

Incidental Music

Year Conductor Orchestra and Choir Notes Label
1957 Albert Wolff Unidentified studio orchestra
and choir		 Dramatization by Max de Rieux with actors Mary Marquet, Berthe Bovy, Maurice Chambreuil, Pierre Larquey, Hubert Noël, Bernadette Lange, Robert Vidalin, Jacques Bernard, and Fernand Sardou Decca LXT5229-30
Naxos 9.80151-52
1985 Michel Plasson Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Orfeon Donostiarra		 Complete incidental music EMI 47460
1986 John Eliot Gardiner Orchestre de l'Opera de Lyon Orchestral excerpts (10 numbers) Erato 45298
1991 Robert Haydon Clark Consort of London
Consort of Voices		 Complete incidental music Collins Classics 11412
1991 Christopher Hogwood Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Orchestral excerpts Decca
1996 Helmuth Froschauer Kölner Rundfunkorchester
Kölner Rundfunkchor		 Complete incidental music in a German language concert adaptation with narrators by Christoph Schwandt Capriccio 10815
2004 Jean-Claude Malgoire Orchestre de Chambre National de Toulouse
Ensemble Vocal Jean Sourisse		 Complete incidental music; with narrator Auvidis Valois
2004 Christopher Hogwood Kammerorchester Basel Excerpts (9 numbers) Arte Nova
2008 Marc Minkowski Les Musiciens du Louvre
Chœur de l’opéra national de Lyon		 Excerpts Naïve

Suites

Year Conductor Orchestra Notes Label
1957 Thomas Beecham Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Suites 1 & 2 EMI 67259
1958 Herbert von Karajan Philharmonia Orchestra Suites 1 & 2 EMI
1967 Charles Munch New Philharmonia Orchestra Suites 1 & 2 Decca
1972 Leonard Bernstein New York Philharmonic Orchestra Suites 1 & 2 Columbia
1981 Claudio Abbado London Symphony Orchestra Suites 1 & 2 Deutsche Grammophon
1988 Charles Dutoit Montreal Symphony Orchestra Suites 1 & 2 Decca
1995 Herbert von Karajan Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Suites 1 & 2 Deutsche Grammophon
2008 Marc Minkowski Les Musiciens du Louvre Suites 1 & 2 Naïve

Video

Notable uses

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

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

The "Carillon" was used in a very successful media campaign in Puerto Rico, launched in the late 1980s by the local importers of Finlandia 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.

Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha 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 Bob James arranged and recorded a jazz version of "Farandole" on his album Two (1975).

French choreographer Roland Petit 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.[7]

A rock version of "Farandole" appears in the Catherine video game by Atlus.

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
    1. Macdonald, Hugh, The Bizet Catalog
    2. Dean, Winton, Bizet. London, J M Dent & Sons, 1978.
    3. Hale, Philip, Historical and Descriptive Notes for the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 35th season (1915-1916)
    4. Robinson, Bradford, L'Arlésienne (complete stage music) Archived 2012-06-07 at the Wayback Machine
    5. Wright, Lesley A., Score for L'Arlésienne, Suite Nr. 2 für Orchester, Breitkopf & Härtel, 2018
    6. DVD toile page about L'Arlésienne.
    7. List of choreographic work by Roland Petit. Official site of Roland Petit, accessed 7 October 2014.

    Further reading
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