PECHEURS DE PERLES, LES

“In the new production of this opera, music, singing and stage production combine to glisten as exquisitely as a strand of flawless pearls.” (New York Observer)

The Met’s acclaimed new production of Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles, a rarity in the operatic repertoire, is directed by the British director and filmmaker Penny Woolcock. The colorful production shifts the opera from the fairy-tale “Oriental” setting specified in the libretto to a bustling harbor village in a contemporary developing country. Presented by a dream cast, Bizet’s sweeping romance tells the story of a beautiful Hindu priestess pursued by rival pearl divers competing for her hand. Diana Damrau leads the cast as the priestess Leïla, opposite Matthew Polenzani as Nadir, Mariusz Kwiecien as Zurga, and Nicolas Testé as the high priest Nourabad. Highlights of the score include “Au fond du temple saint,” perhaps the best-known duet for two male voices in the operatic repertory.