Overview
Introduction
Georges Bizet composed L'Arlésienne as incidental music to Alphonse Daudet's play of the same name, usually translated as The Girl from Arles. It was first performed on 1 October 1872 at the Vaudeville Theatre (now a cinema known as the Gaumont Opéra).
Bizet wrote several folk-like themes for the music but also incorporated three existing tunes from a folk-music collection published by Vidal of Aix in 1864: La Marcho di Rei (The March of the Kings), the Danse dei Chivau-Frus, and Er dou Guet. The score achieves powerful dramatic ends with the most economic of means.
The incidental music has survived and flourished, however. It is most often heard in the form of two suites for orchestra, but has also been recorded complete.
Musical numbers
(1) Overture – the March of the Kings; L’Innocent’s theme; Frédéri’s theme.
Act 1
Tableau 1: The farm at Le Castelet In the first mélodrame (No 2) Francet Mamaï, Frédéri’s grandfather, tells the shepherd Balthazar and Frédéri’s young brother (called ‘l’Innocent’) of Fredéri’s passion for a girl from Arles, while l’Innocent, whose theme dominates this and the next two numbers, tries to talk to the shepherd about a fable about a wolf attacking a goat.
The next mélodrame (3) links the first and second scenes of the play, as the old shepherd, 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.
In scene VIII, after a gay offstage chorus, a mélodrame (5), introduces the theme of Mitifio, a cow-herd; he has come to reveal that the Arlésienne has been another’s 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 (5) as Frédéri’s theme accompanies his collapse by the well.
Act 2
Tableau 2: Alongside the pond of Vaccarès in the Camargue (7) sets the scene, a Pastorale (the Pastorale in the second suite) with offstage chorus and accompaniment. In Mélodrame (8) Balthazar and l’Innocent enter in Scene III (using the latter’s theme), and (9) marks the exit of Rose. The next mélodrame (10) accompanies the discovery of Fréderi in the shepherd’s hut, angry because everyone is spying on him. As wordless offstage chorus sing, Balthazar leaves, having failed to make Frédéri destroy the letters from the Arlésienne which he reads night and day. Mélodrame (12) is only six bars; l’Innocent cannot recall the story he wants to tell his brother. In the next mélodrame (13), (Er dou 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 3: 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 Rhone 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.
This is followed by the Minuet (17) and the Carillon (18), both used in the first suite.
Act 3
Tableau 4: 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) (Danse 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 5: The Cocoonery
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.
Orchestration
Two flutes (second doubling piccolo), oboe (also cor anglais), clarinet, two bassoons, alto saxophone, two French horns, timpani, tambourin (tambourin provençal not tambourine), seven violins, one viola, five cellos, two double basses, piano, and an offstage harmonium to accompany the choruses.
