Georges Bizet was not yet 25 when the Opéra-Comique in Paris commissioned a new opera from him. In the span of a few short months, the young composer produced Les Pêcheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers), which premiered on September 30, 1863.
Zurga and Nadir (played by the superb Alexandre Duhamel and Mathias Vidal), two pearl fishers from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), glimpse and fall in love with the priestess Leïla (the talented Anne-Catherine Gillet), which nearly ruins their friendship. They mutually renounce Leila and vow to remain friends, but Nadir is unable to keep his vow, and Zurga, newly chosen as the village leader, orders his execution—but will he change his mind and allow Nadir and Leila to live in peace?
This striking staging from Thomas Lebrun at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse brings Bizet's masterpiece to life brilliantly!