‘THE PEARL FISHERS’ COMES TO THE CAPITOL THEATRE THIS WEEK

It’s only taken 37 years but Georges Bizet’s 1863 opera The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) has finally come to Utah Opera. Set in ancient Sri Lanka, the opera is about two lifelong friends, Nadir and Zurga, who are pearl fishers and who love the same woman, Leïla. The plot details the vow of eternal friendship the two men made to each other and how that friendship is threatened by their love for Leïla. But Leïla doesn’t have it easy, either. She is caught up in an uncomfortable predicament that pits earthly love against her duties as a priestess.

Georges Bizet

“There is that element of fate,” said tenor Brian Stucki who replaces Philippe Talbot in the role of Nadir. “They’re locked into their fates. They try to escape it, but can’t.”

Soprano Andrea Carroll, the production’s Leïla, said that “everyone has an incredibly huge choice to make.” And these choices have broad consequences. “Their decisions don’t just affect themselves. The entire community – their culture – depends on them,” she said.

The three principal characters find themselves in precarious situations, said stage director Kristine McIntyre. “They have a public responsibility. They have to ask themselves: ‘Can you abuse power?’ ‘At what point can you compromise?’”

“The mistakes people make and how they resolve their problems makes it a relevant story for the 21st century,” said conductor Carlos Izcaray.

Bizet was a prolific composer of operas, but only Carmen and The Pearl Fishers have found a steady place in the repertoire. That the others haven’t found a permanent home in today’s opera houses isn’t the fault of the music – Bizet had a natural gift for melody and capturing the character of a scene. It’s because he mainly had second rate librettos to work with. And that holds true for The Pearl Fishers. Since so much of the story takes place before the opera begins, “it’s dramatically challenging to make sense of the story,” said McIntyre. “But it gives us tremendous freedom to make the story accessible to all.”

Also in the cast is bass-baritone Derrick Parker as the high priest Zurga. Choreography is by Daniel Charon, artistic director of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company.

The opera will be sung in French with English supertitles.

  • PERFORMANCE DETAILS
  • What: Utah Opera, The Pearl Fishers
  • Venue: Capitol Theatre
  • Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17, 19, 21 and 23; 2 p.m. Jan. 25
  • Tickets: $18-$95 ($5 higher when purchased on the day of performance); $10 for students and anyone 30 and younger
  • Phone: 801-355-2787 or 888-451-2787
  • Web: www.utahopera.org
  • ALSO: Opera Prelude Lecture by Utah Opera principal coach Carol Anderson, Capitol Room in the Capitol Theatre, one hour prior to each performance, free for ticket holders.
  • ALSO: Q&A Session with Utah Opera artistic director Christopher McBeth, Capitol Room in the Capitol Theatre, immediately following each performance, free for ticket holders.

TONY ARNOLD AND JASON HARDINK IN TOUR DE FORCE PERFORMANCE OF MESSIAEN’S ‘HARAWI’

NOVA CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES, Libby Gardner Concert Hall, Jan. 11

As one of the most significant composers of the second half of the 20th century, Olivier Messiaen’s music demands to be heard. Thanks to Jason Hardink, pianist and artistic director of the NOVA Chamber Music Series, Salt Lake City has had numerous opportunities to become acquainted with the great French composer’s works.

Tony Arnold (Photo Credit: Claudia Hansen)

At Sunday’s NOVA concert, the sizable audience in Libby Gardner Concert Hall was able to hear one of Messiaen’s early works, the song cycle Harawi from 1945 for soprano and piano, performed by guest Tony Arnold with Hardink at the piano.

The cycle is a nearly hour-long set of love songs that go well beyond the expected. With Messiaen nothing is ever simple or easy or obvious. In Harawi he takes his listeners on an excursion of epic proportions that is spiritual, otherworldly and mysterious.

Arnold and Hardink’s vision of the song cycle brought clarity, cohesiveness and sense of purpose to their virtuosic performance. The harmonic language of Harawiis at times harsh, dense and strident, yet there is also an exotic lyricism that flows through each of the 12 songs, and that was something that the two captured brilliantly. Theirs was a wonderfully crafted reading that was always lucid and eloquent. It was a powerful interpretation that underscored the immensity of the work and its depth of expression without compromising its profoundly moving lyricism.

Jason Hardink (Photo: Courtesy of the artist)

The concert opened with Gregorian Chant and J.S. Bach, which at first might have seemed out of place, but in context with Messiaen’s deeply spiritual song cycle, made complete sense.

The Choristers of the Cathedral of the Madeleine brought their angelic voices to bear in a number of plainchant melodies as well as Maurice Duruflé’s Te Deum. Under the direction of Melanie Malinka, the youngsters sang with crystalline crispness and pure intonation. They were accompanied by cathedral organist Gabriele Terrone.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s principal organist, Richard Elliott, rounded out the concert with a radiant account of Bach’s wondrous Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582. Elliott’s impeccable artistry and musicality, not to mention his prodigious technique, were on full display as he played what surely must be one of Bach’s greatest works for organ. He brought finely crafted phrasings and well delineated expressiveness to his reading. He captured the grandeur of the work with his virtuosic playing and never lost sight of the nuances and subtleties that help define this piece.