Les pêcheurs de perles

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Work data
Title: The pearl fishermen
Original title: Les pêcheurs de perles
Shape: Number opera
Original language: French
Music: Georges Bizet
Libretto : Michel Carré and Eugène Cormon (= Pierre-Étienne Piestre)
Premiere: September 30, 1863
Place of premiere: Théâtre-Lyrique , Paris
Playing time: about 2 hours
Place and time of the action: Ceylon
people
Libretto - published by Calmann-Lévy, Paris, 1923.

Les pêcheurs de perles (German: Die Perlenfischer ) is an opera in three acts by Georges Bizet .

action

In Ceylon, Zurga is elected head of the pearl fishermen according to an old ritual . Leila , the new temple priestess, praying day and night for the salvation of Pearl Fishers order with their singing protection from bad weather and from the dangers of the sea at Brahma to implore. To do this, she must swear to remain veiled. Then the hunter Nadir appears, a childhood friend of Zurga's . Zurga and Nadir renew an old oath of loyalty: in their youth, their friendship threatened to break due to a developing love for a girl; they both renounced the girl in order to maintain their friendship. Behind the veil of the temple priestess, Nadir notices their childhood love Leila and breaks the oath of loyalty, with which Leila also violates her vow. The pearl fishermen and Zurga notice the double breach of oath and demand the execution of the faithless. Before the execution, Leila hands Elder Nourabad a chain to save her from the flames. The necklace is a gift from a young refugee whose life Leila saved many years ago. Zurga then recognizes his chain and regrets his hatred. He devises a plan to free Nadir and Leila and let the lovers go. He sets a fire in the village and while the pearl fishermen are putting out the fire, he loosens the fetters of the condemned. In doing so, Zurga confesses to his childhood friend Nadir that even then he noticed her deep love and wanted to destroy her out of jealousy; this was the reason for the oath of loyalty. Zurga is left alone.

music

The music of the opera, a prelude followed by 16 numbers composed in one another, is characterized by the exotic, Far Eastern subject, which is reflected in rhythm, melody and the (only reconstructable) instrumentation. The aria of Nadir "Je crois entendre encore", furthermore the duet "Au fond du temple saint" between Zurga and Nadir should be emphasized. In addition to the four people, the pearl fishermen's choir, which is always present, has a particularly important task: It also accompanies the emotional development of the characters.

Reception history

The premiere was not a great success. Despite a positive review by Hector Berlioz in the Journal des débats , the opera only saw 18 performances during Bizet's lifetime and was forgotten after his death. Only after the composer's death and the overwhelming success of his opera Carmen were the earlier works remembered. The original score has long been lost, only a contemporary piano reduction has survived. Therefore, only a reconstructed version can be performed today.

literature

Recordings / sound carriers

Web links

Wikisource: Les Pêcheurs de perles  - Sources and full texts (French)