Opera Lafayette presented a graceful and witty production of Félicien David’s “Lalla Roukh” at the Rose Theater in The Lincoln Centre , New York and EisenhowerTheatre at The Kennedy Centre ,Washington DC earlier this year . This opéra-comique set in Mughal India had fallen into oblivion since its wildly successful premiere in 1862, well ahead of the wave of other French operas like Bizet’s “Pêcheurs de Perles,” Delibes’s “Lakmé” or Meyerbeer’s “Africaine.”
David’s lush and inventive score, which frames a story set on the road from Delhi to Samarkand, was considered his masterpiece and held the Paris stage for twenty years after its debut in 1862. Opera Lafayette’s revival features a collaboration withKalanidhi Dance which will bring a ravishing visual element to the ballets that accompany this opera’s captivating melodies and elaborate ensembles. The production is directed byBernard Deletré, with lighting by Colin K. Bills
” While Lalla Roukh’s burgundy and gold costume is a predictable one, given the assumption of finery for a princess, the garments worn by the Kuchipudi dancers display Bhagat’s design dexterity. The arresting colour palette and beautifully proportionate embroidery and appliqué used with thoughtful restraint breathe authenticity—both of the designer’s own signature and of the slice of history she translates” – Mint Lounge and WSJ
Image credit: Louis Forget