L'Arlésienne

History

Composition history

In July 1872, Léon Carvalho, the new director of the Théâtre du Vaudeville, having previously collaborated with Bizet in producing his operas The Pearl Fishers (1863) and The Fair Maid of Perth (1867) at the Théâtre Lyrique, commissioned him to write music for his new venture—L'Arlésienne, a play by Alphonse Daudet. 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 de 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. Carvalho planned to relieve the bleak tragedy of this "rustic drama" by presenting the play with music and choruses. "The piece is a little too sombre for my theatre", said Carvalho, "but I think the music will be a powerful attraction and it will soften somewhat the cruelty of the play." However, there was some risk in this approach, as this genre ("mélodrame") was in decline.

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. 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 Prélude, four entr'actes (later known as the Pastorale, Intermezzo, Minuetto, and Carillon), one longer mélodrame (the Adagietto) and the Farandole, are both 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/traditional music collection found in the book Lou Tambourin, Istori de l'Estrumen Prouvençau (The Tambourin, Avignon, 1864) by writer and tambourinaire François Vidal:

№ 3: Danso dei Chivau-Frus (Dance of the Frisky Horses)[4]—a brisk tune scored by Bizet for flute, piccolo, and tambourin (a Provençal drum); combined ingeniously with the March of the Kings in the Farandole in act 3 at the climax of the drama.

№ 7: Èr dóu Guet[5]—an "air provençal" heard in the form of a brief berceuse in a mélodrame (No. 13) in act 2.

Performance history

L'Arlésienne, incidental music

L'Arlésienne, Suite d'Orchestre

Instrumentation

The score of the original incidental music is notable not only for its light instrumentation (due to the budget constraints of the Théâtre du Vaudeville), but also for its unusual composition—particularly the small number of violas and brass instruments, and the introduction of two instruments new to the orchestra.

The score makes novel use of the saxophone, at this time just being introduced after its invention in the 1840s. Some have associated the instrument with the character l'Innocent. However, only the first of the eight appearances of his theme is scored for the saxophone; the remaining seven are played by strings. Furthermore, the saxophone appears prominently in the entr'acte before act 2, tableau 2, which may be said to be associated with the character Vivette.

The specific drum to use in the percussion section is an issue of some confusion. 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 large tabor not to be confused with the tambourine. The tambourin provençal is a low-pitched tenor drum, the length of which is typically about twice its diameter. 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 had in mind when he set the tune "Danso dei Chivau-Frus", used in the Farandole to evoke the sound of tambourinaires playing during a festival celebrating Saint Eligius.

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). Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein are two examples of conductors who mistakenly use a tambourine in recordings. The score of the first number of L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1, 'Prélude', specifies merely a "tambour", and although a tambourin de Provence could just as well be employed here also, many orchestras use a snare drum (caisse claire).

Incidental music (1872)

Setting

The action takes place in Camargue, on the Rhône River, near the Étang de Vaccarès. The time is unspecified. The season in which the story takes place is a point of some confusion. At the beginning of act 1, Balthazar mentions that it is the first of May. In act 3, he mentions that it is now June. This occurs just before the Farandole, during which the peasants are celebrating Saint Éloi (Eligius), patron saint of horses, farriers, and husbandry. However, his feast day does not occur until the first of December.

Main Characters

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 woman from Arles (L'Arlésienne)

L'Innocent (13), Frédéri's brother Janet; regarded as having a developmental disability

Balthazar (70), chief shepherd

La Renaude (70), Balthazar's youthful love, Vivette's grandmother

Vivette (17), Rose's goddaughter, to whom Frédéri's becomes engaged

Patron Marc, Rose's brother, a Rhône sailor

Mitifio (30), a horseherd ("un gardien de chevaux"), lover of the woman from Arles

Synopsis

The Prélude (No. 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 of Castelet

In Scene 1, Francet Mamaï tells Balthazar of Frédéri's passion for a woman from Arles. L'Innocent, whose theme dominates the first mélodrame (No. 2) and the next two numbers, wants Balthazar to finish his story about Mr. Seguin's goat, who was attacked by a wolf (another short story from Letters from my windmill). Balthazar assures the boy he will continue the story shortly. Francet reports that Frédéri doesn't eat or sleep and is in the grip of a kind of love fever. Francet and Balthazar agree that Frédéri would be better off marrying an industrious local girl, such as Vivette Renaude, rather than a "town hussy". Rose's brother Marc, who lives in Arles, and is due to arrive soon, has been tasked with investigating the Arlésienne and her family to be sure they are respectable.

The next mélodrame (No. 3) links the first scene to the second, in which Balthazar continues telling the goat story to l'Innocent. Vivette enters in Scene 3, and asks Balthazar if l'Innocent can be cured. Balthazar repeats the superstitious belief that an Innocent in the household protects the others from evil and harm. The third mélodrame (No. 4) accompanies the exchange between Vivette and Balthazar, in which the shepherd says he thinks something is stirring in l'Innocent's mind: "That child is waking up... and if he does wake up, everybody about the place must be on their guard." Rose enters in Scene 4, and eventually reports Frédéri's engagement. When l'Innocent climbs high up into the hayloft in the turret, Rose, annoyed, expresses her dread that someone might fall from there onto the flagstones in the courtyard. In Scene 5, Frédéri enters, greets his mother, but takes no notice of Vivette, who is crushed.

Patron Marc enters in Scene 6 with nothing negative to report about the Arlésienne – she and her family are all fine people. He tells Francet he is expected to go to Arles to make a marriage offer. In Scene 8 Balthazar, alone, notes Vivette's grief – she loves Frédéri secretly and suffers in silence, just like her grandmother did. A mélodrame (No. 5), with offstage chorus 'Grand soleil de la Provence', also introduces the theme of the gardian Mitifio, whom Balthazar notices skulking about. Mitifio reveals to Francet that the Arlésienne has been his mistress for two years, and he means to keep her. He has letters from the Arlésienne confirming his story; Francet asks to borrow them. In the final mélodrame (No. 6), Frédéri is about to go off to Arles, but Francet shows him Mitifio's letters. The chorus bursts in with a reprise of 'Grand soleil de la Provence', and Frédéri's theme accompanies his collapse by the well.

Structure

Note:

The number '№ 5' does not appear in the original sequence, perhaps indicating the removal of some material. Most of the pieces following this one have therefore been renumbered in blue or red.

The Valse-Menuet and Carillon were originally together designated № 17: Entr'acte A and B. The Valse-Menuet was later designated 'Intermezzo (Minuetto)' in the 1885 piano-vocal score, published 10 years after Bizet's death.

№ 20 is reported by musicologist Hugh Macdonald to have been a 'Reprise de l'Intermezzo' (i.e., of № 17: Valse-Menuet). This reprise is not present in the composer's manuscript.

Suite No. 1 (1872)

I. Prélude

The suite opens with a strong, energetic theme in C minor, 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 F minor theme associated with L'Innocent (the younger brother of Frédéri). The Prélude concludes with the A minor theme associated with Frédéri himself.

II. Minuetto

The second movement resembles a minuet in C minor. The ending of this movement is slightly expanded from the version in the incidental music.

III. Adagietto

The Adagietto is taken from the central Adagio portion of the first number in act 3, no. 19: Mélodrame. The suite version does not include the Andantino that precedes and follows the incidental music version. At only 34 measures, the Adagietto is the shortest number in the score of either suite, but because of its slow tempo, it can last more than 3 minutes, a longer performance duration than that of the Minuetto's 162 measures. It is written in F major, 34 meter throughout. The incidental music version is scored for muted string quartet. The scoring of the suite version is expanded to the entire string section (minus the basses), still muted.

IV. Carillon

The last movement is based on no. 18: 'Carillon' from the entr'acte preceding act 3, augmented with the Andantino from the following number, № 19: Mélodrame. A shortened version of the Carillon returns after the Andantino to round off the movement in ABA form.

The Carillon portions of the music are written in E major, 34 meter, Allegretto moderato tempo, and feature an ostinato bell-tone pattern (G♯, E, F♯) on the horns, perhaps suggesting tolling church bells, throughout. The main melody of the Carillon theme is scored for strings (and later the flutes); the other instruments for the most part play bell tones in support of the horns.

The Andantino is marked 'Entrée de la Mère Renaud' ('Entrance of Mère Renaud') in the 1885 piano vocal score of the incidental music. It is sometimes designated a siciliana or pastorale on account of its minor key, 68 meter, and dotted rhythms. Originally written in C minor, it is here transposed up a semitone to C♯ minor, the relative minor of E major, to facilitate the transition back to the Carillon theme. The main Andantino theme is initially played by the flutes, which are then joined by the oboes, and finally the saxophone. The horns then begin to insinuate themselves, quietly playing the bell theme again, in a skillful transition blending the A and B themes. The reprise of the Carillon theme follows, played first by the oboes before returning to the strings.

Suite No. 2 (1879)

I. Pastorale

The Pastorale (in A major) 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.

II. Intermezzo

The Intermezzo in E-Flat major 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.

III. Menuet

The menuet in E-Flat major, 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).

IV. Farandole

The finale, the farandole, incorporates the theme of the March of the Kings once again, this time in D minor. This is an expanded combination of numbers 21 and 23–24 of the original incidental music, in which the farandole (in D major) appears first on its own. It is afterwards briefly combined with the march.

Recordings

Audio

Incidental Music

Suites

Video

Films and television adaptations that use Bizet's music

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 Playhouse Disney's/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.

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.