The Pearl Fishers facts for kids
The Pearl Fishers is an exciting opera by a French composer named Georges Bizet. An opera is like a play where most of the story is sung instead of spoken. The words for the songs and story, called the libretto, were written by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré.
This opera was first shown in Paris, France, on September 30, 1863. The story takes place a long time ago in a country called Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka. It's about two best friends who both fall in love with the same woman. She is a special priestess. When it first came out, many people, especially newspaper critics, didn't like it much. But after Bizet passed away, The Pearl Fishers became much more popular. Today, it is performed regularly around the world.
Contents
About The Pearl Fishers
The Pearl Fishers is a beautiful and dramatic opera. It tells a story of friendship, love, and sacrifice. The music is very famous, especially a duet for two male voices. This duet is called "Au fond du temple saint." It is one of the most well-known pieces from the opera.
The Story of Friendship and Love
The opera's story is set in a fishing village in ancient Sri Lanka. Two young men, Nadir and Zurga, are best friends. They are both pearl fishers. Long ago, they both fell in love with the same woman, Leila. To save their friendship, they promised each other they would give up their love for her.
A New Challenge
Years later, Leila returns to the village. She is now a priestess. Her job is to pray for the safety of the pearl fishers. She must stay pure and hidden from men. But Nadir and Leila meet again and realize they still love each other. This puts their lives and the friendship between Nadir and Zurga in danger.
Danger and Sacrifice
When Zurga, who is now the leader of the village, finds out about Nadir and Leila, he becomes very angry. He feels betrayed by his best friend. He orders that both Nadir and Leila be punished. However, Zurga soon learns something important about Leila's past. This discovery makes him change his mind. He decides to help them escape, even if it means putting himself in danger.
Who Wrote The Opera?
The music for The Pearl Fishers was written by Georges Bizet. He was a French composer. Bizet is also famous for his opera Carmen. He wrote The Pearl Fishers when he was still quite young.
The Writers of the Story
The story, or libretto, was created by two writers. They were Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. They worked together to write the words that the characters sing and speak. Their story helped Bizet create the beautiful music for the opera.
Images for kids
-
From left to right: Giuseppe De Luca (Zurga), Frieda Hempel (Leila) and Enrico Caruso (Nadir), in the New York Met 1916 production
-
Michel Carré, who co-wrote the libretto with Eugène Cormon
-
The Théâtre Lyrique (centre right), Paris, where Les pêcheurs de perles received its first performance on 30 September 1863
-
The Vienna Volksoper, which staged Les pêcheurs de perles in 1994, the city's first production of the opera
_-_The_Victrola_book_of_the_opera.jpg)
_by_Edouard_Baldus.jpg)
.JPG)
See also
In Spanish: Los pescadores de perlas para niños
