South Florida Classical Review

Francesca Pia Vitale as the priestess Leïla in Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers at Palm Beach Opera. Photo: Bruce Bennett

For the first time in its history, Palm Beach Opera on Friday performed Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, the other opera by the man who wrote Carmen.

While The Pearl Fishers has been roundly criticized for its implausible plot and dubious portrayal of Ceylon’s religious culture, its gripping music has allowed it to hang on to a place in the repertory. And aside from the exotic locale—which was supposed to have been Mexico until diplomatic issues made that a no-go—the opera’s plot couldn’t be more conventional: a love triangle involving a clash between friendship, passion and duty.

The Kravis Center performance took place with a set and costumes created by the celebrity British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, originally made for the San Diego Opera. Her set was a kaleidoscope of colors that portrayed the ocean, sky, sun, temple columns and palm fronds in pink, red, orange, blue and yellow—a splashy design that made no attempt at realism, maximizing instead the setting’s sense of fantasy. As the program pointed out, unlike Bizet, she had actually visited Ceylon, now Sri Lanka.

It may be more difficult to become emotionally involved in an opera that lacks the appealing, psychologically plausible characters of operas such as La Bohème or Rigoletto. But Bizet’s work is full of great music, and Palm Beach Opera deserves credit for giving South Florida audiences the chance to experience it in this eye-catching production.

The standout vocal performance came from Francesca Pia Vitale as the priestess Leïla, brought in to protect the island’s pearl fishers. Upon her arrival, in taking her oath of office, she repeated with luminous warmth the words “Je le jure” (“I swear it”).

The most moving parts of the Italian soprano’s performance came not in diva-like climaxes but in soft passages such as her initial prayer, sung kneeling surrounded by candles, in which she expressed her faith and vulnerability in shimmering pianissimo high notes. She brought radiant warmth to “Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre,” her expression of contentment at the presence of her lover Nadir, and deployed a lithe, effortless coloratura in the ensuing duet. The role will be sung on Saturday by Aigul Khismatullina.

Francesca Pia Vitale as Leïla and Long Long as Nadir in The Pearl Fishers. Photo: Bruce Bennett

The Chinese tenor Long Long did a respectable job as Nadir. Although his voice seemed a bit dry in the upper range, he effectively portrayed his character’s inner turmoil. His aria “Je crois entendre encore,” sung against a background of dark sky and stars, was full of desperate longing for a woman who seemed unattainable. The role will be sung on Saturday by Jack Swanson.

As Zurga, the leader of the pearl fishers, who is frustrated in his love for Leïla, the Korean baritone Joo Won Kang gave an effective performance of a man torn in many directions. His Act 3 aria, “L’orage s’est calmé, in which he expressed his inner turbulence with tender words of friendship, bursts of anger and attacks of remorse, sung partly on his knees, was a high point of the performance. The role will be sung on Saturday by Guriy Gurev.

Long and Kang gave a decent performance of the opera’s most famous number, the duet “Au fond du temple saint” an ode to friendship by the two old pals who swear to never let a woman come between them. But the main melody, where Bizet brings together tenor and baritone for a stirring anthem of male bonding, came off without the ringing, booming resonance of the best performances.

As the high priest Nourabad, Alfred Walker sang with intimidating power, striding grimly around the stage with a golden staff.

The orchestra conducted by David Stern produced soft, glowing tones, passages of smooth sensuality and stormy violence in music that expresses a Parisian’s version of the exotic Orient.

The chorus did a fine job in its prominent role, singing with grandeur and searing emotion in passages such as the installation of Leïla as high priestess, praying for protection as  they pursued their dangerous livelihood.

Director Kathleen Smith Belcher managed the large forces on stage with skill, keeping the focus firmly on the singing. Throughout the opera, the performance was enhanced by dancers choreographed by Ray Mercer, whose snappy precision energized scenes portraying the pearl fisher community.

Palm Beach Opera will repeat The Pearl Fishers 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. On Saturday the role of Leïla will be sung by Aigul Khismatullina, Nadir by Jack Swanson and Zurga by Guriy Gurev. pbopera.org

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