Georges Bizet was just 24 when he wrote his first full-scale opera. He soon wished that he hadn't. The Pearl Fishers, wrote one caustic Parisian critic, had "neither fishermen in the libretto nor pearls in the music." Bizet, who died at only 36, went on to greater glory with Carmen, but Pearl Fishers has never had more than indifferent success outside France and Italy. Last week, at the opening of the Empire State Music Festival, it got a rare, full-dress U.S. performance. The performance suggested that Bizet's fishermen have been receiving less than their due.
Pearl Fishers' most conspicuous weakness is the...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
