' (, ''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', w ...
, to a
libretto
A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
by
Eugène Cormon and
Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the
Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performances in its initial run. Set in ancient times on the island of
Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the opera tells the story of how two men's vow of eternal friendship is threatened by their love for the same woman, whose own dilemma is the conflict between secular love and her sacred oath as a priestess. The friendship duet "", generally known as "The Pearl Fishers Duet", is one of the best-known in Western opera.
At the time of the premiere, Bizet (born on 25 October 1838) was not yet 25 years old: he had yet to establish himself in the Parisian musical world. The commission to write ' arose from his standing as a former winner of the prestigious
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
. Despite a good reception by the public, press reactions to the work were generally hostile and dismissive, although other composers, notably
Hector Berlioz
Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...
, found considerable merit in the music. The opera was not revived in Bizet's lifetime, but from 1886 onwards it was performed with some regularity in Europe and North America, and from the mid-20th century has entered the repertory of opera houses worldwide. Because the autograph score was
lost, post-1886 productions were based on amended versions of the score that contained significant departures from the original. Since the 1970s, efforts have been made to reconstruct the score in accordance with Bizet's intentions.
Modern critical opinion has been kinder than that of Bizet's day. Commentators describe the quality of the music as uneven and at times unoriginal, but acknowledge the opera as a work of promise in which Bizet's gifts for melody and evocative instrumentation are clearly evident. They have identified clear foreshadowings of the composer's genius which would culminate, 10 years later, in ''
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...
''. Since 1950 the work has been recorded on numerous occasions, in both the revised and original versions.
Background
Bizet's first opera, the one-act ', was written in 1856 when the 18-year-old composer was a student at the
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...
.

It was Bizet's winning entry in a competition organised by the celebrated composer
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach (; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ''The Tales of Hoffmann''. He was a p ...
, and gained him a cash award, a gold medal, and a performance of the prize work at the
Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens. In 1857 Bizet was awarded the prestigious
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
, and as a result spent most of the following three years in Italy, where he wrote ''
Don Procopio'', a short
opera buffa
Opera buffa (, "comic opera"; : ''opere buffe'') is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ''commedia in musica'', ''commedia per musica'', ''dramma bernesc ...
in the style of
Donizetti. By this time Bizet had written several non-stage works, including his
Symphony in C, but the poor reception accorded to his 1858 ', a religious work he composed in Rome, helped convince him that his future lay primarily with the musical theatre. He planned and possibly began several operatic works before his return to Paris in 1860, but none of these projects came to fruition.
In Paris, Bizet discovered the difficulties faced by young and relatively unknown composers trying to get their operas performed. Of the capital's two state-subsidised opera houses,
the Opéra and the
Opéra-Comique, the former offered a static repertoire in which works by foreign composers, particularly
Rossini and
Meyerbeer, were dominant. Even established French composers such as
Gounod had difficulty getting works performed there.
At the Opéra-Comique, innovation was equally rare; although more French works were performed, the style and character of most productions had hardly changed since the 1830s.
However, one condition of the Opéra-Comique's state funding was that from time to time it should produce one-act works by former Prix de Rome laureates. Under this provision, Bizet wrote ''La guzla de l'Emir'', with a libretto by
Jules Barbier and
Michel Carré, and this went into rehearsal early in 1862.
In April 1862, as the ' rehearsals proceeded, Bizet was approached by
Léon Carvalho, manager of the independent
Théâtre Lyrique company. Carvalho had been offered an annual grant of 100,000 francs by the retiring Minister of Fine Arts,
Count Walewski, on condition that each year he stage a new three-act opera from a recent Prix de Rome winner. Carvalho had a high opinion of Bizet's abilities, and offered him the libretto of ''Les pêcheurs de perles'', an exotic story by Carré and
Eugène Cormon set on the island of Ceylon (now
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
). Sensing the opportunity for a genuine theatrical success, Bizet accepted the commission. Because Walewski restricted his grant to composers who had not had any previous work performed commercially, Bizet hurriedly withdrew ''La guzla'' from the Opéra-Comique; it has never been performed, and the music has disappeared.
Roles
Synopsis
:Place:
Ceylon
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
:Time: Ancient times
Act 1
The scene is a desolate seashore, with the ruins of a Hindu temple in the background. A chorus of pearl fishermen sing of the dangerous tasks that lie ahead (""), and perform ritual dances to drive away evil spirits. They then elect one of their number, Zurga, as their leader, or "king". Nadir enters, and is hailed by Zurga as a long-lost friend. Left alone, the pair reminisce about their past in the city of
Kandy
Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
, where their friendship was nearly destroyed by their mutual love of a young priestess whose beauty they had glimpsed briefly. They had each renounced their love for this stranger and had sworn to remain true to each other. Now, reunited, they affirm once again that they will be faithful until death ("
Au fond du temple saint").
A boat draws up on the beach bearing the veiled figure of Leila, the virgin priestess whose prayers are required to ensure the safety of the fishermen. Although neither Nadir nor Zurga recognises her, she is the woman from Kandy with whom both had been in love. As Zurga is explaining her duties, she recognises Nadir, but she says nothing and shortly afterwards is led up to the temple by the high priest Nourabad. Zurga and the fishermen go down to the sea, leaving Nadir alone. In a troubled soliloquy before he sleeps he recalls how, in Kandy, he had broken his vows to Zurga and pursued his love for the veiled woman (""). It was the rumour that she might be found in this place that brought him here. Alone in the temple, Leila prays and sings. Nadir wakes and, recognising the voice of his long-desired lover, traces it to the temple. Leila briefly draws her veil aside, he sees it is she and the pair declare their renewed passion. On the beach, the fishermen plead with her to continue protecting them, but she tells Nadir she will sing for him alone ("").
Act 2
In the temple with Nourabad, Leila expresses fear at being left alone, but Nourabad exhorts her to be brave and to fulfil her vows to Brahma on pain of her own death. She tells him of the courage she once displayed when, as a child, she had hidden a fugitive from his enemies and refused to give him up even when threatened with death (""). The fugitive had rewarded her with a necklace that he asked her always to wear. She had kept this promise, as she would her vows. On the priest's departure, Leila quietly muses on the former times when she and Nadir would meet together secretly (""). Nadir then enters; in her fear of Nourabad's threats Leila begs him to leave, but he remains and the two declare their love in a passionate duet (""). He goes, promising to return next night, but as he leaves he is captured by the fishermen and brought back to the temple. Zurga, as the fishermen's leader, at first resists the fishermen's calls for Nadir's execution and advocates mercy. However, after Nourabad removes Leila's veil, Zurga recognises her as his former love; consumed by jealousy and rage, he orders that both Nadir and Leila be put to death. A violent storm erupts, as the fishermen unite in singing a hymn to Brahma ("Brahma divin Brahma!").
Act 3
In his tent on the beach, Zurga notes that the storm has abated, as has his rage; he now feels remorse for his anger towards Nadir (""). Leila is brought in; Zurga is captivated by her beauty as he listens to her pleas for Nadir's life, but his jealousy is rekindled. He confesses his love for her, but refuses mercy (""). Nourabad and some of the fishermen enter to report that the funeral pyre is ready. As Leila is taken away, Zurga observes her giving one of the fishermen her necklace, asking for its return to her mother. With a shout, Zurga rushes out after the group and seizes the necklace.
Outside the temple, Nadir waits beside the funeral pyre as the crowd, singing and dancing, anticipates the dawn and the coming double execution (""). He is joined by Leila; resigned now to their deaths, the pair sing of how their souls will soon be united in heaven. A glow appears in the sky, and Zurga rushes in to report that the fishermen's camp is ablaze. As the men hurry away to save their homes, Zurga frees Leila and Nadir. He returns the necklace to Leila, and reveals that he is the man she saved when she was a child. He recognises now that his love for her is in vain, and tells her and Nadir to flee. As the couple depart, singing of the life of love that awaits them, Zurga is left alone, to await the fishermen's return ("!").
(In the revised version of the ending introduced after the opera's 1886 revival, Nourabad witnesses Zurga's freeing of the prisoners and denounces him to the fishermen, one of whom stabs Zurga to death as the last notes sound of Leila and Nadir's farewell song. In some variations Zurga meets his death in other ways, and his body is consigned to the pyre.)
Writing and compositional history
The libretto was written by
Eugène Cormon and
Michel Carré. Cormon was a prolific author of libretti and straight drama, usually in collaboration with other writers. In his career he wrote or co-wrote at least 135 works, of which ', set to music by
Aimé Maillart, was perhaps the most successful.
Carré, who had initially trained as a painter, had worked with
Jules Barbier on
Gounod's opera ''
Faust'' and had co-written the play ', which became the basis of the libretto for Offenbach's opera ''
The Tales of Hoffmann''. Before ' Cormon and Carré had previously written a libretto for Maillart on a similar theme, ', which had been performed in 1860; they had originally planned to set their new story in Mexico before changing its location to Ceylon.
By general critical consent the libretto of ' is a work of poor quality. The weak plot, as Bizet's biographer
Winton Dean observes, turns on the unlikely coincidence regarding Leila's necklace, and no real effort is made in the text to bring any of the characters to life: "They are the regulation sopranos, tenors, etc., with their faces blacked".
Mina Curtiss, in her book on Bizet, dismisses the text as banal and imitative.
Donal Henahan of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', writing in 1986, said that the libretto "rank
dright down there with the most appallingly inept of its kind".
The writers themselves admitted its shortcomings: Cormon commented later that had they been aware of Bizet's quality as a composer, they would have tried harder.
Carré was worried about the weak ending, and constantly sought suggestions for changing it; Curtiss records that in exasperation, the theatre manager
Carvalho suggested that Carré burn the libretto. This facetious remark, Curtiss asserts, led Carré to end the opera with the fishermen's tents ablaze as Leila and Nadir make their escape.
Because he did not receive Carvalho's commission until April 1863, with the projected opening night set for mid-September, Bizet composed quickly with, Curtiss says, "a tenacity and concentration quite foreign to him in his Roman days". He had some music available on which he could draw; through the previous winter he had worked on the score of an opera, ''
Ivan IV'' with the promise, which fell through, that the work would be staged in
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...
. ''Ivan IV'' provided music for three numbers in ''Les pêcheurs de perles'': the prelude; part of Zurga's "Une fille inconnue"; and the third act duet "O lumière sainte". The "Brahma divin Brahma" chorus was adapted from the rejected ''Te Deum'', and the chorus "Ah chante, chante encore" from ''
Don Procopio''. It is also likely that music composed for the cancelled ''La guzla de l'émir'' found its way into the new opera's score, which was completed by early August.
The libretto was changed frequently during the creation process, even when the work had reached the rehearsal stage; the chorus "L'ombre descend" was added at Bizet's request, and other numbers were shortened or removed.
Performance history and reception
Premiere and initial run
The premiere, originally planned for 14 September 1863, was postponed to the 30th because of the illness of the soprano lead, Léontine de Maësen. The first-night audience at the Théâtre Lyrique received the work well, and called for Bizet at the conclusion. The writer
Louis Gallet, who later would provide several librettos for Bizet, described the composer on this occasion as "a little dazed ... a forest of thick curly hair above a round, still rather childish face, enlivened by the quick brown eyes..."
The audience's appreciation was not reflected in the majority of the press reviews, which generally castigated both the work and what they considered Bizet's lack of modesty in appearing on stage. Gustave Bertrand in ''
Le Ménestrel'' wrote that "this sort of exhibition is admissible only for a most extraordinary success, and even then we prefer to have the composer dragged on in spite of himself, or at least pretending to be". Another critic surmised that the calls for the composer had been orchestrated by a "claque" of Bizet's friends, strategically distributed.
Of the opera itself, Benjamin Jouvin of ''
Le Figaro
() is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...
'' wrote: "There were neither fishermen in the libretto nor pearls in the music". He considered that on every page the score displayed "the bias of the school to which
izetbelongs, that of Richard Wagner".
Bertrand compared the work unfavourably with those of contemporary French composers such as
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
and
Félicien David. "Nevertheless", he wrote, "there is a talent floating in the midst of all these regrettable imitations".
Hector Berlioz
Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...
was a voice apart in the general critical hostility; his review of the work in ''
Journal des Débats'' praised the music's originality and subtlety: "The score of ''Les pêcheurs de perles'' does M. Bizet the greatest honour", he wrote.
Among Bizet's contemporaries, the dramatist
Ludovic Halévy wrote that this early work announced Bizet as a composer of quality: "I persist in finding in
he scorethe rarest virtues".
The youthful composer
Émile Paladilhe told his father that the opera was superior to anything that the established French opera composers of the day, such as
Auber and
Thomas, were capable of producing.
In its initial run ' ran for 18 performances, alternating with Mozart's ''
The Marriage of Figaro
''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienn ...
''. It closed on 23 November 1863, and although it brought the theatre little financial success, Bizet had won admiration from his peers. Carvalho was satisfied enough to ask Bizet to quickly finish ''Ivan IV'', with a view to its early production at the Théâtre Lyrique. This idea eventually came to nothing; ''Ivan IV'' remained unperformed until 1946.
Early revivals
After its opening run, ' was not performed again until 11 years after Bizet's death when, on 20 March 1886, it was presented in Italian at
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...
, Milan. After this it received regular stagings in European cities, often with the Italian version of the libretto.
These revivals, which possibly reflected the growing success of ''
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...
'', were followed by the publication of several versions of the music that incorporated significant differences from Bizet's original.
In particular the finale was altered, to provide a more dramatic ending—"a grand
Meyerbeerian holocaust" according to Dean.
This revised conclusion included a trio composed by
Benjamin Godard. These corrupted scores remained the basis of productions for nearly a century.
The opera received its British premiere on 22 April 1887, at London's
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...
, Covent Garden, under the title ''Leila''. The part of Nadir was sung by
Paul Lhérie, the original Don José in the 1875 ''Carmen''.
Press reactions were muted; ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
''s music critic found much of the music incompatible with the exotic setting—the hymn to Brahma was, he suggested, reminiscent of a
Lutheran chorale. ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.
In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
''s reporter found "no trace of genuine inspiration", and drew unfavourable comparisons with ''Carmen''. When Covent Garden repeated the production in May 1889, the
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales (; ) is a title used since the 14th century by the wife of the Prince of Wales. The Princess is the apparent future queen consort, as "Prince of Wales" is a title reserved by custom for the heir apparent to the Monarchy of the ...
and other members of the British royal family were present. ''
The Manchester Guardian''s correspondent praised the singers but found that the work "becomes weaker and weaker as it goes on".
''Les pêcheurs'' returned to Paris on 20 April 1889, when it was performed—in Italian—at the
Théâtre de la Gaîté. Despite a distinguished cast—
Emma Calvé,
Jean-Alexandre Talazac and Lhérie, now a baritone, in the role of Zurga—critical reviews were no more enthusiastic than those which had greeted the original performances. ''Le Ménestrel'' excused Bizet on account of his youth, while ''The Manchester Guardian''s report summed up the Parisian view of the work as "almost entirely lacking in ... boldness & originality". On 24 April 1893 Carvalho revived the work, in French, at the Opéra-Comique, its first performance at what would later become its regular home.
Productions continued to proliferate in Europe, and further afield; on 25 August 1893 the opera received its American premiere in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
Two-and-a-half years later, on 11 January 1896, the first two acts were performed at the New York
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
(the "Met"), as part of a programme that included
Jules Massenet
Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884 ...
's one-act opera '. The cast was led by Calvé and the Italian baritone
Mario Ancona.
The Met's first complete staging of the opera came 20 years later, on 13 November 1916, when a star cast that included
Enrico Caruso,
Frieda Hempel and
Giuseppe De Luca gave three performances. According to W. H. Chase in the ''Evening Sun'', the act 1 duet "brought down the house in a superb blending of the two men's voices"; later, in "Je crois entendre encore", Caruso "did some of the most artistic singing in plaintive minor". In ''The Sun'', W. J. Henderson, praised Hempel for her "ravishing upper tones", Da Luca was "a master of the delicate finish", and the bass
Léon Rothier, in the small part of Nourabad, "filled Bizet's requirements perfectly".
Entering the mainstream
In the years after the First World War the work lost popularity with opera-house directors, and it was seen less frequently.
The Met did not repeat its 1916 production, though individual numbers from the work—most frequently the famous duet and Leila's ""—were regularly sung at the Met's concert evenings.
The 1930s saw a return of interest in the opera, with productions in new venues including
Nuremberg
Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
and the
Berlin State Opera. Some revivals were unconventional: one German production used a rewritten libretto based on a revised storyline in which Leila, transformed into a defiant Carmen-like heroine, commits suicide at the end of the final scene.
[ ] Paris's Opéra-Comique staged a more traditional production in 1932, and again in 1938, Bizet's centenary year. From that time onward it has remained in the Opéra-Comique repertory.
After the Second World War, although the opera was shunned by Covent Garden, the
Sadler's Wells company presented it in March 1954. ''The Times'' announced this production as the first known use in Britain of the opera's English libretto. The stage designs for this production, which was directed by
Basil Coleman, were by
John Piper.
In the early 1970s, Arthur Hammond orchestrated the sections of the neglected 1863 vocal score that had been cut out from the post-1886 scores.
This led to a production in 1973, by
Welsh National Opera, of a version close to Bizet's original, without Godard's trio and Zurga's violent death—the first modern performance to incorporate the original ending.
The Sadler's Wells production was revived several times, but it was not until September 1987 that the company, by then transformed into
English National Opera
English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...
(ENO), replaced it with a new staging directed by
Philip Prowse. ''The Guardian''s report on this production mentioned that the "Pearl Fishers Duet" had recently topped the list in a poll of the public's "best tunes", and described the opera as "one of the most sweetly tuneful in the French repertory". This production "...
roughtout its freshness, never letting it become sugary". Although the run was a sell-out, ENO's managing director
Peter Jonas disliked the production, and refused to revive it. It did not reappear in ENO's repertory until 1994, after Jonas's departure.
Modern productions
In the latter years of the 20th century the opera was a regular feature in many European cities, and was still breaking new ground; in 1990 it made its debut at the
Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava.
Vienna saw it for the first time in 1994, at the
Vienna Volksoper, in what
John Rockwell
John Sargent Rockwell (born September 16, 1940) is an American music critic, dance critic and arts administrator. According to ''Grove Music Online'', "Rockwell brings two signal attributes to his critical work: a genuine admiration for all ki ...
in the ''New York Times'' described as "an awkwardly updated production", though well performed. The opera had not so far proved particularly popular in the United States, where since the Met premiere of 1916, performances had been rare compared with Europe.
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox (Chicago opera), Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, w ...
staged it in 1966, but waited until 1998 before reviving it.
In 1980 the
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through its 2013 bankruptcy, and again since 2016 when it was revived.
The opera company, dubbed "the peopl ...
mounted a production based on the 1863 edition, and staged it again in 1983 and 1986. Reviewing the 1986 production,
Donal Henahan wrote that despite the inept libretto the work was saved by the "melodic suppleness and warmth" of Bizet's score.
San Diego Opera first staged the work in 1993, but it was this company's 2004 production, designed by
Zandra Rhodes, that generated new levels of enthusiasm for the opera throughout the United States. In the following few years this production was shown in seven other U.S. opera houses; in October 2008 James C. Whitson, in ''
Opera News'', reported that worldwide, "between 2007 and 2009, half of all major production of the piece have been or will be ... in the U.S.".
San Diego's director, Ian Campbell, suggested that his company's 2004 production was "created at a time when it seemed many U.S. opera companies were looking for a not-too-expensive production with melody, and a little off the beaten track ....
ur''Les pêcheurs de perles'' fitted the bill".
In January 2008 the opera received its first performance in Sri Lanka, the land of its setting. The conductor, Benjamin Levy, directed a large group of singers and musicians, mostly young and local. In October 2010, after an interval of more than 120 years, the opera was reintroduced to London's Royal Opera House. Two concert performances were given using a new edition of the score, prepared by
Brad Cohen after the discovery in the
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The (; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites, ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository of all that is published in France. Some of its extensive collections, including bo ...
of Bizet's 1863 conducting score.
Commenting on this performance in ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'',
Rupert Christiansen drew attention to the "musing intimacy and quiet dignity" with which the duet was sung, as compared with more traditional macho renderings.
The Metropolitan New York presented a new production of the work in 2016, the first time the opera had been performed there for nearly a hundred years. Although many cities choose concert performances, there are also several stage productions, in 2024 i.e. in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
,
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
,
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
,
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, the Moravian Theatre in
Olomouc
Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region.
Located on the Morava (rive ...
,
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
, the Grand Théâtre Massenet of the , Saint Petersburg and
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora (, ) is a city in Bulgaria, and the administrative capital of Stara Zagora Province. It is located in the Upper Thracian Plain, near the cities of Kazanlak, Plovdiv, and Sliven. Its population is 121,582 making it the sixth largest c ...
.
Music
The opera begins with a brief orchestral prelude, the principal theme of which prefigures Leila's entrance.
The opening chorus is punctuated by a lively dance—the critic John W. Klein describes it as "electrifying".
Nadir's first significant contribution is his aria "", sung to an accompaniment of cellos and bassoons under a string
tremolo that indicates the possible influence of Meyerbeer.
Flutes and harps are used to introduce the main theme of the celebrated "Pearl Fishers Duet", in what the opera historian
Hervé Lacombe identifies as "the most highly developed poetic scene in the opera".
The duet's theme has become the opera's principal musical signature, repeated in the work whenever the issue of the men's friendship arises—though in Dean's view the tune is not worthy of the weight it carries.
Dean suggests that Bizet's ability to find the appropriate musical phrase with style and economy is better demonstrated in his treatment of Leila's oath of chastity, where a simple phrase is repeated twice in
minor third
In music theory, a minor third is a interval (music), musical interval that encompasses three half steps, or semitones. Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions (see: interval (music)#Number, interval numb ...
steps.
Nadir's aria "Je crois entendre encore", towards the end of act 1, is written on a
barcarole rhythm, with a dominant
cor anglais
The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn (mainly North America), is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially ...
whereby, says Lacombe, "
e listener has the impression that the horn is singing".
In act 2 a short orchestral introduction is followed by an off-stage chorus, notable for its sparse accompaniment—a
tambourine and two
piccolos. After Nourabad reminds Leila of her oath and leaves her alone she sings her cavatina "". Two
French horn
The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most o ...
s introduce the theme, supported by the cellos. When her voice enters, says Lacombe, "it replaces the first horn whose characteristic sound it seems to continue". Dean likens this song to Micaela's aria "" from ''Carmen''.
Nadir's "De mon amie" which follows the cavatina has, says Dean, "a haunting beauty"; its introductory phrase recalls the oboe theme in Bizet's youthful
Symphony in C.
Dean cites the second act finale, with its repeated climaxes as the crowds demand the errant couple's deaths, as an example of Bizet's developing skills in writing theatrical music.
The third act, divided into two brief scenes, begins with Zurga's entrance to quiet
chromatic scales played over a
tonic pedal, an effect that Bizet would later use in his incidental music to '.
The duet "Je frémis", says Dean, has clear hints of
Verdi's ', and the fiery chorus "Dès que le soleil" is reminiscent of a
Mendelssohn scherzo, but otherwise the final act's music is weak and lacking in dramatic force.
In the closing scene, in which Zurga bids a last farewell to his dreams of love, the friendship theme from the act 1 duet sounds for the final time.
According to Lacombe, ' is characteristic of French ''
opéra lyrique'', in particular through Bizet's use of
arioso and dramatic
recitative
Recitative (, also known by its Italian name recitativo () is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat lines ...
, his creation of atmospheres, and his evocation of the exotic. Berlioz described the opera's score as beautiful, expressive, richly coloured and full of fire, but Bizet himself did not regard the work highly, and thought that, a few numbers apart, it deserved oblivion.
Parisian critics of the day, attuned to the gentler sounds of
Auber and Offenbach, complained about the heaviness of Bizet's orchestration, which they said was noisy, overloaded and Wagnerian—"a fortissimo in three acts".
The conductor
Hans von Bülow dismissed the work contemptuously as "a tragical operetta", and when it was revived after 1886, resented having to conduct it.
Modern writers have generally treated the piece more generously; the music may be of uneven quality and over-reflective of the works of Bizet's contemporaries, says Dean, but there are interesting hints of his mature accomplishments.
Others have given credit to the composer for overcoming the limitations of the libretto with some genuinely dramatic strokes and the occasional inspiring melody.
Musical numbers
The listing is based on the 1977 EMI recording, which used the 1863 vocal score. In the post-1886 revisions the act 1 "" duet was replaced with a reprise of "".
[Avis, Peter (1990). "The Story of the Opera": notes on Bizet's ''The Pearl Fishers''. Compact Disc CDB 7 67146 2. EMI Records Limited] In act 3 the sequence of numbers after the chorus "" was changed after 1886, together with cuts from and additions to the original. "", was recomposed by Benjamin Godard as a trio for Nadir, Leila and Zurga.
Act 1
* (Chorus)
* (Zurga, Chorus)
* (Zurga, Nadir, Chorus)
* (Zurga, Nadir, Chorus)
* (Zurga, Nadir)
* (Nadir, Zurga)
* (Zurga, Nadir)
* (Zurga, Nadir)
* (Chorus)
* (Zurga, Leila, Nadir, Chorus)
* (Zurga, Leila, Nourabad, Chorus)
* (Nadir)
* (Chorus, Nourabad, Nadir)
* (Leila, Nadir, Chorus)
Act 2
* (Chorus, Nourabad, Leila)
* (Nourabad, Leila, Chorus)
* (Leila)
* (Nadir, Leila)
* (Nadir, Leila)
* (Nadir, Leila)
* (Leila, Nadir, Nourabad, Chorus)
* (Nourabad, Leila, Nadir, Chorus)
* (Zurga, Nourabad, Leila, Nadir, Chorus)
* (Chorus)
Act 3
* (Zurga)
* (Zurga, Leila)
* (Zurga, Leila)
* (Zurga, Leila)
* (Nourabad, Leila, Zurga)
* (Chorus)
* (Nadir, Nourabad, Chorus)
* (Nadir, Leila, Nourabad, Chorus)
* (Nourabad, Zurga, Nadir, Leila, Chorus)
* (Leila, Nadir, Zurga)
Editions
Having completed the score of ' in August 1863, Bizet fell out with his publisher,
Choudens, over publication rights. The quarrel was patched up and Choudens retained the rights, but published only a piano vocal score in 1863.
After Bizet's death in 1875 his widow
Geneviève Bizet showed scant care for her husband's musical legacy; several of his autograph scores, including that of ''Les pêcheurs de perles'', were lost or given away. Choudens published a second piano vocal score in 1887–88 and a "nouvelle édition" in 1893 that incorporated the changes that had been introduced into recent revivals of the opera. A full orchestral score based on the nouvelle edition was published in 1893.
A trend towards greater authenticity began after Hammond's orchestrations in the 1970s provided a basis for staging the work in its original form. This process was further aided by the discovery in the 1990s of Bizet's 1863 conducting score. In this, the orchestral parts were reduced to six
staves, but notes and other markings in the manuscript provided additional clues to the original orchestration.
These new finds became the basis for Brad Cohen's critical edition of the score, published by
Edition Peters in 2002.
Recordings
The first complete recordings of the opera were issued in the early 1950s. Before then, numerous recordings of individual numbers had been issued; the duet "", sung in Italian by Caruso and
Mario Ancona, was recorded as early as 1907.
[, Mario Ancona and Enrico Caruso] The 1919 edition of ''The Victrola Book of the Opera'' lists available recordings of several of the solo numbers, the duet, the orchestral prelude, the chorus "" and the act 3 finale, mainly sung in Italian. The 1977 Prétre recording of the complete opera was the first to be based on the 1863 original as represented in Bizet's vocal score. The Plasson version of 1989, while using the 1863 score, gives listeners two versions of the duet: the curtailed form in which it appeared in Bizet's original, and the extended version in which it became more popularly known.
Brad Cohen's highlights version, sung in English and based on the conductor's adaptation of Bizet's conducting score, also provides both versions of the duet.
Notes and references
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pecheurs de perles, Les
1863 operas
French-language operas
Libretti by Michel Carré
Operas
Operas by Georges Bizet
Operas set in Ceylon
Opera world premieres at the Théâtre Lyrique
Fiction about pearls