In conventional form and pleasant style, but given over to the fashion for exoticism, the delicate orchestration and melodic richness earned Delibes a success with audiences. The passionate elements of the opera are given warm and expressive music, while the score in general is marked by subtle harmonic colours and deft orchestration. Oriental colour is used in prayers, incantations, dances and the scene in the market. The act 2 aria "Où va la jeune Hindoue?" (the Bell Song) has long been a favourite recital piece for
coloratura sopranos. (Recordings of it in Italian, as "", also exist.)
Musical numbers • Prelude
Act 1 • No. 1 Introduction: "À l'heure accoutumée" (At the usual time) (Nilakantha) • Prayer: "Blanche Dourga" (White Durga) (Lakmé, Nilakantha) • No. 1b – Scene: "Lakmé, c'est toi qui nous protège!" (Lakmé, it is you who protect us!) (Nilakantha, Lakmé) • No. 2 – Duet (
Flower Duet): "Viens, Mallika, les lianes en fleurs ... Dôme épais, le jasmin" (Come Mallika, the
lianas in bloom ... The jasmine forms a dense dome) (Lakmé, Mallika) • Scene: "Miss Rose, Miss Ellen" (Gérald) • No. 3 – Quintet & couplets: "Quand une femme est si jolie" (When a woman is so pretty) (Gérald) • Recitative: "Nous commettons un sacrilège" (We are committing sacrilege) (Gérald) • No. 4 – Air: "Prendre le dessin d'un bijou" (Make a drawing of a jewel) (Gérald) • No. 4b – Scene: "Non! Je ne veux pas toucher" (No! I do not want to touch) (Gérald, Lakmé) • No. 5 – Recitative & Strophes: "Les fleurs me paraissent plus belles" (The flowers appear more beautiful to me) (Lakmé) • No. 5b – Recitative: "Ah! Mallika! Mallika!" (Lakmé) • No. 6 – Duet: "D'où viens-tu? Que veux-tu?" (Where are you from? What do you want?) (Lakmé, Gérald) • No. 6b – Scene: "Viens! Là! Là!" (Come! There! There!) (Nilakantha, Lakmé)
Act 2 • Entr'acte • No. 7 – Chorus & March: "Allons, avant que midi sonne" (Come before noon sounds) • No. 7b – Recitative: "Enfin! Nous aurons du silence!" (Finally! We will have silence!) • No. 8 – Airs de danse: Introduction • No. 8 – Airs de danse: Terana • No. 8 – Airs de danse: Rektah • No. 8 – Airs de danse: Persian • No. 8 – Airs de danse: Coda avec Choeurs • No. 8 – Airs de danse: Sortie • Recitative: "Voyez donc ce vieillard" (So see that old man) • No. 9 – Scène & Stances: "Ah! Ce vieillard encore!"" (Ah! That old man again!) (Nilankantha, Lakmé) • No. 9b – Recitative: "Ah! C'est de ta douleur" (Ah! It's your pain) (Lakmé, Nilankantha) • No. 10 – Scène & Légende de la fille du Paria (Air des Clochettes/The Bell Song):"Ah!... Par les dieux inspires... Où va la jeune Hindoue" (Ah... Inspired by the gods... Where is the Hindu girl going) (Lakmé, Nilankantha) • No. 11 – Scène: "La rage me dévore" (Rage consumes me) (Nilankantha, Lakmé) • No. 12 – Scène & Choeur: "Au milieu des chants d'allegresse" (Amid chants of cheerfulness) (Nilankantha, Lakmé) • No. 12b – Recitative: "Le maître ne pense qu'à sa vengeance" (The master thinks only of his revenge) • No. 13 – Duet: "Lakmé! Lakmé! C'est toi!" (Lakmé! Lakmé! It's you!) (Lakmé, Gérald) • No. 14 – Finale: "O Dourga, toi qui renais" (O Durga, you who are reborn) (Gérald)
Act 3 • Entr'acte • No. 15 – Berceuse: "Sous le ciel tout étoilé" (Beneath the star-filled sky) (Lakmé) • No. 15b – Recitative: "Quel vague souvenir alourdit ma pensée?" (What vague memory weighs down my thought?) (Gérald, Lakmé) • No. 16 – Cantilène: "Lakmé! Lakmé! Ah! Viens dans la forêt profonde" (Lakmé! Lakmé! Ah! Come into the deep forest) (Gérald) • No. 17 – Scène & Choeur: "Là, je pourrai t'entendre (There I will be able to hear you) (Lakmé, Gérald) • No. 18 – Scène: "Vivant!" (Alive!) (Gérald) • No. 19 – Duet: "Ils allaient deux à deux" (They went two by two) (Lakmé, Gérald) • No. 20 – Finale: "C'est lui! C'est lui!" (It's him! It's him!) (Nilankantha, Lakmé, Gérald) == Cultural references ==