Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers is a story of friendship, forbidden love and divided loyalties, set against the exotic backdrop of a community of pearl divers. Best known for its celebrated duet “Au fond du temple saint,” the opera combines soaring melodies with an intensely human drama about two friends whose bond is tested when they discover they love the same woman. New Zealand Opera brings Bizet’s colourful and emotionally charged work to the stage in a production exploring love, jealousy, sacrifice and the difficult choices that can define a life.
Bass Anthony Robin Schneider talks to Andrew Whiteside about The Pearl Fishers, his role in the production, and the experience of bringing Bizet’s opera to life.
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NZ Opera’s new production of The Pearl Fishers by Bizet, plays at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland, 23-27 September with Auckland Philharmonia, and at Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch, 14-18 October with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.