TheLittleSongbird Lakme maybe is not one of the all-time great operas. What it is though is a charming and I think underrated opera on its own. The story in the last act is not the most plausible and if you are looking for complex characters with many dimensions look to another opera(ie. Tosca). I however do find Lakme very charming and heartfelt, and the music is gorgeous. Unfortunately there are not many DVDs of Lakme around, but what the two that are available suffice very nicely. Both are from Opera Australia, and I am very fond of them both. One is this one from 2011 with Emma Matthews, and the other is one from 1976 with Joan Sutherland.If I were to choose a preference between the two, I actually give a marginal edge to this production. It is not without flaws though. Aldo Di Toro has a beautiful voice, unstrained and with a nice lyrical warmth, but is a non-event as an actor, looking as though he wants to get the role over and done with as soon as possible. And I didn't like Luke Gabbedy's Frederic at all dramatically, his voice is very sonorous and rich but he only has one way of communication and that is staring at the conductor.Everything else works though. Sure, anybody who fell in love with the beautifully co-ordinated ballet sequences in the Sutherland production will miss those here, but for me that is not enough to bring the performance down too much. The production for one looks absolutely gorgeous. I cannot imagine Lakme outside a traditional setting personally, and not only does the traditional setting here look so colourful and lavish but it looks genuinely authentic. The staging resorts to no distaste, and keeps what is unfolding on stage simple while involving and with the oriental lyrical style that you'd hope to see with Lakme. On DVD, it looks every bit as good thanks to the clear picture quality and the video directing is sympathetic without relying on too many close-ups. It is just excellent from a musical point of view as well, with stylish, beautifully textured orchestral playing, a vibrantly sung chorus and conducting that is alive to authority and nuances. The great sound compliments it very well.As Lakme, Emma Matthews is splendid. I'll be honest in saying that Sutherland was not in her finest hour in her production, contrastingly Matthews couldn't have been more in her element. Her singing is a good size and bright in intonation(though not too much), and she also has beautiful tone, spot-on and very free-sounding high notes(her top E in the Bell Song is stunning), silken legato and phrasing, great musicianship, elegant diction and a very flexible colouratura technique. Dramatically, she is very graceful and heartfelt and her personal beauty helps in this regard. Jane Parkin, Angela Brun and Roxane Hislop are very good. Dominika Matthews is the best of the supporting cast, her mezzo is fruity and her acting sympathetic. Her blending with Matthews' Lakme in the exquisite Flower Duet is done with great care with neither singer overpowering the other. The Nilakantha of Stephen Bennett has involvement, character and authority, and apart from some woofiness at the top his voice is well-produced and pleasant.To conclude, utterly enchanting visually and musically, almost from the performances of Gerald and Frederic it is almost perfect. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Gyran Delibes' Lakmé is a charming opera about the love between a Hindu maiden and an English officer during the British Raj. The plot gets a bit silly in Act III but that is excusable, and quite typical of many operas. The work is a bit lacking in subplot and the supporting roles are rather sketchy. Nearly all the memorable music goes to the two lovers but, again, this is not unusual. I am struggling to find reasons why the opera is not performed more often. The music is melodious and sensuous and contains two showstoppers the famous Flower Duet and the Bell Song. I can find only two filmed versions: this one from Opera Australia in 2011 and the Joan Sutherland version recorded in 1976, also by Opera Australia.This is an opera that could reasonably be updated to modern day Afghanistan, although that would involve a bit of tinkering with the libretto. Both these Australian versions are resolutely traditional with colourful but simple sets and Indian costumes. What is striking is how similar the two productions are, separated by an interval of 35 years. The main difference is that, in 1976, it was considered acceptable to wear dark make-up whereas, in 2011, the Indian characters look very Australian.The main revelation in this recording is Emma Matthews as Lakmé. She is a new name to me but, looking at her biography, she has done a wide range of heavyweight roles for Opera Australia over the last 20 years. She has a light coloratura with an astonishing high range. If you compare her performance with Joan Sutherland's it is very much more pleasing to the ear. In the flower duet Sutherland's whooping delivery completely overwhelms her unfortunate mezzo partner. Matthews voice blends beautifully with that of Dominica Matthews as Malika. Matthews is also better in the bell song. Her high notes have a sweetness to them and, as she climbs higher and higher there is never any doubt that she is going to make it.Tenor Aldo Di Toro struggles a bit as her lover Gerald. Other parts are adequate but that is not important as this is Emma Matthews' showcase. I did enjoy the magic tunic in Act III. Gerald has been stabbed through the tunic and we see him lying on a bed in his bloodstained shirt. When he recovers, he gets up and puts on his tunic, which is pristine.