The "Flower Duet" is a duet for soprano and mezzo-soprano in the first act of the tragic opera Lakmé, premiered in Paris in 1883 and composed by Léo Delibes.
It is sung by the characters Lakmé, daughter of a Brahmin priest, and her servant Mallika, as they go to gather flowers by a river.[1]
The duet is frequently used in advertisements and films[2][better source needed] and is popular as a concert piece. The duet has become a staple of British Airways' brand image, having first been adapted for the track "Aria" in the airline's "face" advertisements of the 1980s by Yanni and Malcolm McLaren.[3] It has been featured in many subsequent advertisements for the airline and is used as its inflight boarding music.[4][5] More recently, it has been heard in bits by The Kids In The Hall and Astron-6, and as soundtrack in films such as Carlito's Way, I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, The Hunger, Meet the Parents, Anomalisa, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, Piranha 3D, The Angry Birds Movie, The Occupant and True Romance; and television shows including Sex and the City, Regular Show,Parks and Recreation and The Simpsons.[6]
- ^ "Lakmé, by Leo Delibes". World of Opera. National Public Radio. 11 May 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
- ^ Léo Delibes at IMDb
- ^ "British Airways – Face". SplendAd. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ "British Airways unveils reimagined Flower Duet theme". Business Traveller. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
- ^ "British Airways' new TV ad welcomes back passengers as Covid restrictions lift". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
- ^ "Léo Delibes: Lakmé". Classic FM. Retrieved 8 September 2019.