Georges
Bizet composed L'Arlésienne as incidental music to Alphonse Daudet's play of
the same name, usually translated as The Girl from Arles. It was first
performed on 1 October 1872 at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris.
Bizet
himself played the harmonium backstage at the premiere performance.
Bizet's
suite contains several folk-like themes for the music but also incorporated
three existing tunes from a folk-music collection.
The
play itself was not successful, closing after only 21 performances. It had been
staged as a last-minute replacement for another play, which had been banned by
the censors, and the audience was less than favorably disposed to the new play.
The incidental music has survived and flourished, however. It is most often
heard in the form of two suites for orchestra but has also been recorded
complete.
