ClassicFM.com gives top billing to the “Flower Duet,” on its list of the most-uplifting classical duets ever written. Even if you’re not an opera buff, you’ve probably heard this melody many times before and wondered where the enchanting piece came from.
The duet is from Léo Delibes’ opera “Lakmé,” and was first performed in Paris in 1883. Written for soprano and mezzo-soprano, it is taken from Act One of the opera. Its mesmerizing harmonies make it the perfect pick-me-up song.
In this 2007 recording, sung by Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca, the pair sing lyrics that translate to “Come, let us drift down together,” as the opera’s main character Lakmé and her servant Mallika gather flowers by a river.