Liege In ancient times on the Island of Ceylon, two pearl fishers made a vow of eternal friendship, which soon was threatened by their love for the same woman, Leila, a young Brahma priestess whose ethereal beauty they had glimpsed. The fishers renounced their attraction for Leila, swearing to remain true to each other. As the opera opens, the two pearl fishermen, Zurga and Nadir, who had gone their separate ways, meet again and affirm in the famous Pearl Fishers’ Duet, “Au fond du temple saint” that they will be faithful until death. But unknown to Zurga, Nadir had already broken his vow, briefly pursuing his passion for Leila who returned his love. The trouble begins when Leila arrives veiled in red and gold to pray for the safety of the fishermen. This is the dramatic turning point in this magnificent opera of love and longing by Georges Bizet. Most famous for Carmen, the opera he wrote a decade later, Bizet was only twenty-five years old when Les Pêcheurs de Perles premiered in 1863. The music is transcendent with wonderful expressive pieces full of beautiful lights and rich colour. Directed by the award-winning Japanese Director, Yoshi Oïda, the opera features a stellar Francophone cast with Annick Massis as Leila and Marc Laho as Nadir.
