Flower Duet (Sous le dôme épais) String Quartet - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1478481

Léo Delibes was part of a remarkable flowering of opera in France during the middle and late nineteenth century. A list of names gives an idea of the riches: Bizet, Berlioz, Gounod, Massenet, Meyerbeer, Offenbach, Saint-Saëns, Thomas, Lalo and Halévy, plus Italian composers who wrote operas to French texts for Paris production, including Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi.

With such a treasure trove, in is inevitable that some very fine music has been allowed to drift into obscurity. In his time, Delibes was celebrated for his melodic gift, but of the more than twenty operas and operettas that he wrote, only Lakmé is performed today, and even it is rare. The Flower Duet (Sous le dôme épais) for soprano and mezzo-soprano, is by far the best known number from this, or any, Delibes opera. The lovely sinuous melody has been used as background music for numerous films, television shows and commercials.

This arrangement for string quartet is full length and includes the opening recitative, which can be omitted if desired. It has been transposed from the original B major to C major, which lies better for strings, as well as being easier to read at sight.

CYPRESS PUBLISHING is pleased to be the imprint for arrangements for string ensemble by Stephen Levintow. He is a free lance professional violist and violinist specializing in chamber music, who began making string quartet and trio arrangements for wedding, party and corporate events, to expand the repertory or to improve on existing versions. Selections include unusual pieces by both familiar and lesser-known composers, plus standard classical and popular favorites.

The goal is to produce high-quality, musically satisfying arrangements faithful to the composer’s original material, yet sight-readable in most cases by working professionals or intermediate to advanced students. The full range of normal string technique is employed, while avoiding unnecessary technical complexity. Melodic material is distributed throughout the four voices where appropriate, to maintain listener and performer interest. All parts and scores are set in Sibelius© software format, with careful attention to legibility and page turns.