Les pêcheurs de perles (Die Perlenfischer)

In the organizer's words:

It is a great romantic opera about friendship, jealousy and betrayal. Georges Bizet, the later famous composer of the opera "Carmen", gained great attention in 1863 with the opera "Les pêcheurs de perles". His successful opera is set among pearl fishermen in India who are engaged in dangerous work. And so, with a classic conflict about two men who love the same woman, Georges Bizet delves into a mysterious, distant world with its own laws. Friends Zurga and Nadir meet again after many years among the pearl fishermen. Zurga has been elected their leader, Nadir has been traveling for a long time, both once loved the same woman, Leïla, and in the interest of their friendship have renounced this love. Now the conflict breaks out anew, because the priestess who is supposed to implore the benevolence of the gods for the fishermen in the temple is none other than Leïla. Despite the strictest prohibition, Leïla falls in love with Nadir in the temple. The deeply affected and furiously jealous Zurga is faced with a difficult decision: Does he follow the law of the community and punish the lovers, or does he follow the law of love and betray the community? Does he give free rein to jealousy and hatred, or does he act humanely? Georges Bizet shows in this great romantic opera for the first time all his musical art in melody, color and atmosphere as well as the dramatic development of deep, emotional conflicts. Australian conductor Nicholas Carter makes his debut on the podium of the Gürzenich Orchestra.