Les Pêcheurs de perles

Opera w 4 acts
Libretto: Michel Carré, Eugène Cormon
World premiere: 30 November 1863, Paris
Premiere of this production: 23 April 2027, Warsaw
Co-production with: Wiener Staatsoper
In original French with Polish and English surtitles

Georges Bizet is predominantly known as the composer of Carmen. The opera’s popularity, however, led to an increased interest in his earlier works, including Les pêcheurs de perles, the composer's first serious work for the stage, written at the young age of 25. Originally, the piece was meant to be titled Leila, but the librettists, Michel Carré and Eugène Cormon, eventually opted to place the focus on the two male protagonists. 

Set in Ceylon, the opera tells the story of a friendship between Zurga, the king of pearl fishers, and Nadir, a pearl hunter. Their peace is disrupted by the arrival of a priestess of Brahma, whose task is to ward off evil spirits by singing atop a high mountain every night. The young woman is draped in a veil that conceals her identity, yet Nadir recognises her to be Leila, a beauty he and Zurga saw a long time ago in a temple and fell frantically in love with. To save their friendship, however, the two pearl hunters pledged to renounce their feelings. Both Nadir and Leila break their vows: he confesses his feelings for the priestess and she removes her veil. Caught in flagrante by the priest, the pair is brought before Zurga. Initially, the king acquits them, but when he realises his friend broke his promise, he agrees for the lovers to be put to death. As Nadir and Leila prepare await the execution together, it transpires that the woman once saved Zurga's life. To repay his debt of gratitude, the king devises a plan to save the lovers from an angry mob demanding that they be punished. The events culminate in an unexpected and tragic finale. 

The press lambasted the opera, although the criticism focused mainly on the shortcomings of the libretto, which had been reworked almost until the opening night. Despite the unfavourable reviews, the work was well received by the public. Nowadays, more and more opera houses include it in their programmes. It explores themes that recur in Bizet's subsequent pieces: the struggle between passion and moral principles, the conflict between individuals and society, and the tension between youth and established authority. Les Pêcheurs de perles offers a fascinating insight into the composer's development as he sought to portray the conflict of passions unfolding in an exotic setting. 

This production is directed by Ersan Mondtag, an interdisciplinary artist with unbridled imagination, who has staged a play in Poland before. Co-produced with the Wiener Staatsoper, this is his first opera to be showb in Warsaw.

Chorus and Orchestra of the Polish National Opera