Les pêcheurs de perles by Bizet, dim. 13 févr. 2022, Du (2021/2022), Dirigé par Ben Baur, Beate Vollack, Chef d'orchestre Marcus Merkel, Marius Burkert, Opernhaus Graz, Graz, Autriche

Which bond is stronger, that of love or that of friendship? When Zurga, who had just been elected leader by the Ceylon pearl fishermen, and Nadir meet again after a long time, the bond of friendship has already been broken: They both once loved the same woman, the priestess Leïla, whose magical effect she demonstrated in one of the most beautiful duets sing about the opera literature (“Au fond du temple saint”). For the sake of friendship, both renounced this love, but Nadir found no peace in the heart. When Leïla is appointed as a priestess to protect the pearl fishermen who risk life and limb in the search for the most beautiful pearls, the drama takes its course: friends become rivals, passion wins, and Leïla, who vows chastity, is for always dirty. When, in 1863, at the age of just 24, Georges Bizet, who was awarded the prestigious Rome Prize, created “Die Perlenfischer” for the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris, Ceylon had been under British colonial rule for decades. The work cleverly combines “simplicity and the appearance of the alien” (according to the musicologist Anselm Gerhard) and, according to Hector Berlioz, allows Bizet to receive “the greatest honor”. This triangular story is set in scene by Ben Baur, who created atmospheric and emotional productions in Graz with “Roméo et Juliette” and “Il Trovatore”.