Review: L'Arlésienne – Bizet's Music for a Forgotten Rural Tragedy Packs Punch and Poetry

Queen Elizabeth Hall, London: Bizet's incidental music for Alphonse Daudet's play L'Arlésienne (1872) received its first complete performance in Britain, presented by Sir Mark Elder, the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra and strong soloists under Jeremy Sams' direction. 'The most beautiful music in the world' is how the playwright described the music to Alphonse. The 1872 play L'Arlésienne, somewhat similar to the description of Carmen, Bizet's opera less than three

Bizet's incidental score for Daudet's 1872 play, A Daughter of Arles, was given its first complete UK performance by Sir Mark Elder, the Enlightenment Orchestra and strong soloists in Jeremy Sams' staging.

Monday 12 October 2026 14.35 CEST Last change on Monday 12 October 2026 15.09 CEST

"The most beautiful music in the world" was how playwright Alphonse Daudet described the incidental music Bizet composed for his 1872 play The Girl from Arles - a bit like describing Carmen, Bizet's opera less than three years later as a charming little love story.

Daudet's play initially flopped, but was saved by the score Bizet wrote for it, which consists of 27 separate numbers ranging from multi-bar string murmurs to full-scale orchestral songs and celebratory choruses. The two orchestral suites from L'Arlésienne have long been familiar in the concert hall. But, in more than 150 years, it was the first chance for British audiences to hear the full accidental music in its proper context. Presented by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and conducted by Mark Elder, there was a danger that this show would become a musical with a show - but in fact the two elements complemented each other with equal strength.

In this earthy and ultimately tragic tale set in rural Provence, the title girl is not like Godot—she's in the city, where people are no better than they should be. But her betrayal of the farm boy Frederic, played here with a wide eye by Cyril Kelly, and her inability to give up her infatuation wreak havoc. There are few surprises – given that in Act 1 we are clearly told how tall the farm's haystack is, there can only be one ending for a desperate Freddie. However, Daudet's characters aren't out of stock: in particular, Rose, Frederic's mother, is passionate but pragmatic, in a way that arrived every time Helena Limbri was on stage. In Alex Doidge-Green's designs, the playing area was flanked by a dirty shepherd's caravan and a clean coat hanger, with the orchestra and choir behind. Jeremy Sams, who directed this film, long ago went to the stage in the north of England with his pleasant translated text.

As for the music, written for a small orchestra and cello, with saxophone and harmonium, beautiful is only half of it. It's music that smells of lavender and pine trees, yes, but also farm animals in the sun. Aided by a brisk chorus, OAE and Elder showcased their country flavor well while never losing its subtlety.