Les pêcheurs de perles
- Leila, temple priestess ( coloratura soprano)
- Nadir, Hunter ( lyric tenor )
- Zurga, Pearl Fishers (baritone )
- Nourabad, church elder ( bass)
- Choir
Les perles de pêcheurs ( German: The Pearl Fishers ) is an opera in three acts by Georges Bizet.
Action
In Ceylon, the pearl fishers is chosen according to an ancient ritual Zurga the head. Leila, the new temple priestess, praying day and night for the salvation of the Pearl Fishers, to plead with her singing protection against bad weather and from the hazards of the sea at Brahma. To this end, they must swear to remain veiled. Then the huntsman nadir occurs, a childhood friend Zurgas. Zurga and Nadir renew an old loyalty oath in their youth threatened their friendship in an evolving love to break to a girl; they both dropped the girls to get their friendship. Nadir noticed behind the veil of the temple priestess their shared childhood love Leila and breaks the oath of allegiance, which also Leila violates her vow. The Pearl Fishers and Zurga notice the double perjury and demand the execution of the false ones. Prior to the execution Leila handed over to the elders Nourabad a chain in order to save them from the flames. The necklace is the gift of a young refugee, the Leila had saved his life many years ago. Since Zurga recognizes his chain and regretted his hatred. He devises a plan to rid Nadir and Leila and to let the couple. He puts in the village fire and during the Pearl Fishers extinguish the fire, it releases the shackles of the condemned. This Zurga confesses his childhood friend Nadir that he had already then noticed her deep love and jealousy had wanted to destroy; this was the reason for the Pledge of Allegiance. Zurga is left alone.
Music
The music of the opera, a prelude followed by 16 numbers composed into one another, is characterized by the exotic, oriental motif that is reflected in rhythm, melody and the (only reconstructable ) instrumentation. Of particular note is the aria of Nadir " Je crois entender encore ", further the duet between Zurga and Nourabad. In addition to the four people to the ever-present chorus of Pearl Fishers is particularly important task: He also accompanies the emotional development of the characters.
Reception history
The premiere was not a success, the opera experienced to Bizet's lifetime, few ideas and was soon forgotten. Only after the death of the composer and the overwhelming success of his opera Carmen was remembered of the earlier works. The original score has long been lost, only a contemporary piano reduction is still preserved. Therefore, today be brought to the stage only a reconstructed version.