LÉO DELIBES Coppélia Waltz
this issue we are tackling a piece by the prolific and influential French composer of vocal, ballet and opera music, Léo Delibes (1836-91). His beguiling work was highly respected by such composers as Tchaikovsky who rated Delibes as a “greater composer than Brahms”. Delibes’ music, like that of his contemporaries Grieg and Tchaikovsky, found its way from ‘classical high art’ into broad contemporary popular culture. His Divertissement-Pizzicato from his opera Sylvia, for example, is instantly recognisable, appearing in countless films, TV shows, cartoons and adverts whenever a light, balletic and humorous character is required; and his stunning Flower Duet from his opera Lakmé also manages to intersect ‘high-art’ and
