The Pearl Fishers

The Pearl Fishers is a 19^th century operatic theatre show composed by Frenchman Georges Bizet. In French, the play was known as “Les pêcheurs de perles”. It was originally written in three acts and was based on a libretto. This was performed by Michel Carre and Eugene Cormon. The show premiered in theatres at Paris in 1863. The first venue to stage the opera was Théâtre Lyrique. Here, on its opening, the production was allowed only 18 reruns.  Several modern adaptations have indubitably been spurred. The newest production of the opera is that of the “Santa Fe Opera”. This will be part of a summer festival which is being designed by the talented Yoshi Oida. People interested in watching a recreation of a nearly 150 year old show can now get The Pearl Fisher tickets.

The basic storyline of The Pearl Fisher involves two men who are best friends and live on Ceylon; an island set in the ancient ages. Their vow to always be friends is put to the test when they end up falling for one woman. Moreover, the woman’s own internal conflict is depicted through the opera as she contemplates giving in to secular love while still honoring her oath to be a sacred priestess. This opera sprouted one of the most recognizable numbers in the industry, "Au fond du temple saint" or “Friendship Duet” which is performed by the two leading men. The number is commonly called “The Pearl Fishers Duet”. When one thinks of operatic music and theatre, this is the song that they associate with. By getting The Pearl Fisher tickets, the viewer is earning the opportunity to hear a recreation of a 19^th century classic.

An interesting fact about The Pearl Fisher is that when it was first premiered, the composer, Bizet was only 25 years of age. He was still not established as a composer and was still a nameless talent in the industry. Before this, he had only made a name for himself in Parisian theatre. He received the honor to compose such an opera when he won an esteemed contest in his area, the “Prix de Rome”.  Still, as this was his mainstream debut, and as a relatively new kid, he had to be prepared for the outcome, whatever it may be. And so although the audience seemed to have enjoyed the show, the press that were present and the media next day was a little less forgiving. Critics collectively dismissed the opera and expressed their dislike in elaborative manners. One composer, Hector Berlioz was the only one who found Bizet’s music to have quality and depth. Because of this The Pearl Fishers tickets sale plummeted, and the opera was cancelled.

Unfortunately, The Pearl Fisher was never rejuvenated in the young composer’s lifetime. It was brought to life once more sometime during 1886 when it started to become a stage regular, being performed all through Europe and even in America. By the middle of the 20^th century, this became an opera house staple, being performed widely everywhere. The biggest drawback was that some Bizet’s original compositions for the score were lost over time. A lot of the score that was revived after 1886 consisted of altered versions that deviated far from the first one. After the 1970s, when enough came to be known about the opera, attempts were made to revive the original compositions. Since then, a significant amount of Bizet’s original work has been reconstructed.

In today’s world, the critical reception has taken a huge one-eighty. Commentators of the opera acknowledge the depth and the complexity of the music and how it transitions from number to the other. Even though some of the modern versions are uneven (having been lost over time), the quality of the compositions still shines through. Critics have noted how Bizet had a natural talent for melody, and a sound knowledge of instrumentation though which he composed an effortless score for the opera.

One of the more popular modern adaptations was the one performed at the “London Royal Opera House”. A newer version of the original opera was used in this case. This was put together and edited by composer Brad Cohen. Here too the intimacy and dignity woven in the undertones of the compositions were noted. Thus, it is clear that this remains one of the oldest and most celebrated operas of all time. With the 2012 production, the management plans to revive an art form that seems to be losing its appreciation.