An examination of the autograph manuscripts of "Lakme", by Leo Delibes

<p>The primary objective of this study is to gain insight into the opera Lakme by Leo Delibes by examining his autograph manuscripts, currently in the Library of Congress. A comparison among the manuscripts and published editions reveals certain items that were eliminated prior to production or publication, a sense of chronology of composition as seen in the manuscripts, Delibes' adaptation of Lakme from the opera-comique tradition to grand opera, and discrepancies in published editions. Appendices provide a list of autograph manuscripts by Leo Delibes acquired by the Library of Congress, including unpublished works; a chronology of dates of composition of the Lakme manuscripts; facsimiles of selected unpublished portions from the autograph manuscripts of Lakme; and an errata list comparing the manuscripts to current performing editions.</p>