Léo Delibes

Les Filles de Cadix

Léo Delibes (1836-1891) composed Les Filles de Cadix (The Maids of Cadiz) in 1863, setting Alfred de Musset's lively poem celebrating the wit, independence, and flirtatious charm of the young women of Cádiz. Cast as a sparkling chanson espagnole, the song reflects the nineteenth-century French fascination with Spanish subjects, rhythms, and color, employing the spirited character of the bolero to evoke an idealized Spain rather than an authentic folk style. Although Delibes is best known today for his ballets Coppélia and Sylvia, this early mélodie quickly became one of his most successful vocal works, due to its graceful melody and infectious rhythmic vitality. Les Filles de Cadix remains a favorite recital piece for lyric and coloratura sopranos, while its melody gained an even wider audience through Gil Evans's celebrated jazz orchestration, The Maids of Cadiz, recorded by Miles Davis in 1957. This edition for high voice and orchestra is set in the original key of F-sharp minor. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(2): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set): Solo Soprano. A version (A907702) using the same orchestration, transposed to E minor, is also available from the publisher. Reprint edition.