Les Pêcheurs de perles

In his new production of Bizet’s early opera Les Pêcheurs de perles, Ersan Mondtag brings the pearl fishers’ working world to the forefront, transposing it into a contemporary setting governed by the logic of fashion. The distinguished cast featured several opera stars. Juan Diego Flórez brought elegance and musicality to the role of Nadir, with OperaWire praising his ‘brilliant and secure high notes’ and ‘excellent phrasing’. As Zurga, Ludovic Tézier displayed both the beauty of his voice and his innate nobility, while the remarkable bass Ivo Stanchev completed the cast as Nourabad, the high priest of Brahma. Daniele Rustioni led the Orchestra of the Wiener Staatsoper in a thoughtful and finely detailed interpretation of the score. He brought out the music’s sensuality through a transparent, mellow sound that acknowledged its Orientalist colouring without overemphasising it.