Reducing oriental cultures to simplistic exotic decoration –or «fictional essences », in post -colonial terminology– is one of the characteristic traits of 19th century exoticism. Lakmé – as with L’africaine beforehand or Madama Butterfly afterwards, each one with its particular success and sensibility - developed a tremendously delicate archetype of a romantic relationship,   generally with a tragic finale, between a Western colonizer and a beautiful and sacrificial Easterner. Beyond this debate, the approach permitted European composers to tint their scores with an evocative fragrance. Such is the case of Lakmé, where the «Flower Duet», over time, has become a crossover of universal proportions in the same way that the «Bell Song » aria of the protagonist became, from the moment the opera premiered, an insignia of all esteemed lírico–ligera sopranos. 

Fortunately, Lakmé   is much more than these two moments. Not in vain, Delibes can be considered, along with Tchaikovsky, as the leading composer of ballet in the 19th century. His splendid score shows us just how much remains to discover of French opera.