Abstract
Lucien Lambert's Le Spahi (1897) represents the finishing landmark of the exotic trend in French opera. Adapted from Pierre Loti's Le Roman d'un Spahi and set in the contemporary French colony of Senegal, it reflects the characteristics, values, and spirit of the roman colonial by hinting at French assimilation and mirroring the mal de siècle. It integrates realist elements typical of naturalisme established by Zola's novels and Alfred Bruneau's operas, and minimizes explicit Oriental features both in the music and in Louis Gallet and André Alexandre's libretto. An analysis of four numbers from the opera reveals elements of conservative identity in light of colonial literary traits.
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