The Flower Duet, from Lakme

The Flower Duet, known in French as "Sous le dome epais," is one of the most beautiful opera duets your sopranos will ever sing.

In this opera, Lakme, daughter of a priest of India, sings with her maid in a garden.

"Silvery voices"..."bird song"..."liquid notes"...never have these terms seemed so meaningful to me as when listening to sweet voices singing this song well.

To introduce my singers to the Flower Duet, I go to YouTube, find one of the many performances of the Flower Duet (remember it is also called "Sous le dome epais"), and download it ahead of time.



There are many terrific professional renditions, and we look and listen to some of those, but my current favorite is a college recital performance by a couple of lovely young ladies called Melissa and Carolyn. Perhaps the reason I prefer to show their performance to my students is that they seem accessible, like real people.

Originally, the Flower Duet is in the key of B. Too high! At least for young, undeveloped voices. And for early rehearsal work when notes are being learned, it can be nice to sing lower. We're going to be rehearsing it for a long time, so we learn it in the key of G.



Free opera sheet music Flower Duet in the key of G. This is a 5 page document.

Why the key of G? Easier on the accompanist, easier on the voices. But here it is in the original key as well.

Free vocal sheet music Sous le dome epais in the key of B (also a bigger file).

Please be aware that this free opera sheet music is an excerpt from the whole long duet; perhaps a third or less of the entire piece. (Your singers would be happy to keep singing, but it is likely that their audience would appreciate it more in small doses, if they are like most opera-phobes. Better warm them up to it a little bit at a time.)

IF YOU WANT THE ENTIRE PIECE in the original key, go to this page on my site, Lakme Flower Duet sheet music.

The harmony seems overwhelming at first to young girls. Only SEEMS, though. Actually, I think it is the French that is the most daunting hurdle in this piece, for non-French speakers. So we don't deal with it at all until we have the harmony and rhythm well in hand.

This goes against the practice of many teachers of a former generation, who suggested memorizing the lyrics -- after first translating them! -- the very first week. If you know your singers will do that, fine. I don't make my vocalists memorize everything, because I want to cover MORE than just 2 or possibly 3 songs a week.



Here it is for voices only -- save paper!

We start with "La...la-la-la... La... la-la-la..." (Soprano 1). We practice this each week, just as long as it takes to get the harmony. It may sound silly, but even with just the la-las, this piece can bring tears (of appreciation, of course!) to the eyes.

I have arranged an easy piano accompaniment for rehearsal.


Free easy piano accompaniment in G

This easier accompaniment for Flower Duet works very well for performance, also, if the pianist has trouble with the original version. (I'm not talking about using this accompaniment for college singers, of course... consider your venue.) I believe something simple, well-played, is far preferable to an elaborate but awkward backup. These rolled chords, plus a light doubling of the singers' parts, make a nice accompaniment.

There are purists who would shake their heads at the notion of changing the key and altering the accompaniment. That's okay. Musicians have always made new arrangements out of the music of other composers. And I'm bringing up young singers who will actually WATCH, LISTEN TO, AND SING OPERA...maybe in small doses at first (thank you, YouTube!), and who perhaps, eventually, will become future audience members and even performers.

I hope you and your singers enjoy this free vocal sheet music!

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