When French composer, George Bizet, died from a heart attack at the untimely age of 36 in 1875, little did he think he had written what would become the best loved opera in the world, Carmen, and it was the tremendous posthumous success of this work which caused opera houses around the world to revisit his first opera, The Pearl Fishers, first performed in 1863 when Bizet was just 25.
I for one am very glad they did, even if many opera companies haven’t always successfully interpreted the exotic setting to its advantage, a fact pointed out by director Penny Woodcock, “The Pearl Fishers has struggled to be taken seriously…buckets of glitter and tinsel, dry smoke, flashy costume jewellery, fake tans, turbans and dodgy dancing.” An opera best known for one duet and a handful of catchy tunes, Woodcock’s mission as director was to showcase the full range and complexity of the work as a whole.
Her admired 2010 production is currently being revived for the first time at English National Opera’s home, the London Coliseum, in association with the Metropolitan Opera, New York, and hits the nail on the head without looking like something more suited to a Christmas pantomime. ENO’s recent staging of Mozart’s Così fan tutte was a hard act to follow, but this season is proving to be a gloriously diverse mix of theatricality and the world’s finest music.
Curtain up revealed members of the cast ‘swimming’ on wires and projections and underwater sound effects were a fantastic way of heightening the drama. Set in an impoverished coastal town in the Far East, the shanty sets by Dick Bird are incredibly intricate and atmospheric and you can fully imagine the inhabitants of these huts making their living by diving for pearls, even though the libretto never once refers to them finding any. A highly dangerous occupation that is at the constant mercy of the weather, the opening act sees the townspeople appoint Zurga (George von Bergen) as their leader – a fellow who allows power to go to his head.
This revival has already received some very unfair reviews by many nationals, despite being an enthralling staging, with a company and chorus who more than do justice to some of the most tender songs in the opera repertoire, not least when baritone von Bergen sings the famous duet ‘Au fond du temple saint’ with his long lost friend, Nadir, played by Canadian tenor John Tessier – a casting I appreciate even if he does look more like an Aussie surfer. Whilst his acting has some way to go, his dulcet tones are so soothing as to make you want to close your eyes and drift off on a lilo.
Despite protestations of friendship and loyalty between Zurga and Nadir, however, the affection of the two men is tested to the limit due to a shared passion for a young preistess called Leila, whom Nourabad, the High Priest of Brahma (Barnaby Rea) introduces into the community to pray for the safety of the pearl fishers every night at the sacred temple. Heavily veiled, she is warned that she will lose her life if she ever reveals her face, a vow she accepts willingly and not being aware that her former lover, Nadir, is about to resurface on hearing the sweet sound of her voice.
Instantly recognising the priestess as his beloved Leila, played by the talented Sophie Bevan, Nadir swims to the sacred temple by night and convinces her to unrobe, a sin we know all too well comes with the death penalty and a sentence the jealous Zurga is keen to pass as vengeance for his own rejection. Act II sees hell, fury and damnation break loose as an almighty storm of biblical proportions descends. Barnaby Rea as Nourabad, along with the chorus, really come into their own on conveying their rage. A production showcasing what a breathtaking art-form opera is, and allowing music and high drama to unite, a more riveting The Pearl Fishers you will never see.
The Pearl Fishers at the London Coliseum until 5th July 2014. For more information and tickets visit the website.
