Bizet - Les Pecheurs de Perles (Marcello Viotti, Annick Massis) [2004]

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Bizet - Les Pecheurs de Perles (Marcello Viotti, Annick Massis) [2004]

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Widely remembered as the composer of one of the most popular operas of all time, CARMEN, Georges Bizet was also responsible for this lesser-known gem. Written when he was only 25, the work was not well-recieved upon its initial performance in 1863, but has since come to be appreciated for its beauty and orchestral subtlety. The libretto deals with two men, King Zurga of Ceylon and his friend Nadir, who are both in love with a high priestess, Leila. Though each claim to be over Leila, when Nadir recognizes her in the temple he cannot deny his feelings, which are returned; though she has vowed celibacy, they meet in secret, and are discovered. The jealous Zurga condemns Leila to death, but when he realizes she intervened on his behalf years ago, he changes his mind with catastophic results. This production of the only Bizet opera to remain in the repertoire was performed in Venice, with an extraordinary Annick Massis as Leila, while the staging was executed by Pier Luigi Pizzi. Highlights of the show include Leila's aria, "Comme autrefois, dans la nuit sombre," and the stunning duet between Leila and Nadir, "Ton coeur n'a pas compris le mien."

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Bizet - Les Pecheurs de Perles (Marcello Viotti, Annick Massis) [2004]

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Bizet - Les Pecheurs de Perles (Marcello Viotti, Annick Massis) [2004]

Close