L'Arlésienne (play)

"L'Arlésienne" was a novel, written by Alphonse Daudet and first published in his "Lettres de mon moulin" [Lettres de mon moulin|] , in 1869. In 1872, the author transformed the novel into a three-act play. Bizet wrote incidental music for the play's first production - a score that played an entire hour, in fact, and later inspired suites of the same name, the first established by Georges Bizet himself, the second after Bizet's death, by Ernest Guiraud. It formed the basis of the Italian opera "L'arlesiana" (1897), text by Leopoldo Marenco, music by Francesco Cilea.

Plot

The play is set in Provence, France. "L’Arlésienne", which translates to "the lady from Arles", is loved by a young peasant Fréderi. However, upon discovering her infidelity prior to their wedding date, Fréderi approaches madness. His family tries at great length to "save" their son, but eventually Fréderi commits suicide by jumping off a balcony.

Trivia

Because the title character is never shown in the play, "Arlésienne" is now used, in French, to describe a person that is prominently (and sometimes voluntarily) absent from a place or a situation where that person would be expected to show up.

References