During the long and interesting history of bel canto in Mauritius, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers has been performed only twice,
each time with a different approach.
The first interpretation dates back to 1958, more precisely on the Tuesday 5 August 1958 by a company created by Mauritian Max Moutia
and including soloists from the Paris Opéra Comique and La Gaieté Lyrique, from the operas of Lyon, Strasbourg, Nice, Genève,
Montpellier, Alger, as well as 12 choir singers and 5 musicians. The Moutia Company launched its season with Carmen on Monday 13 June 1958 and,
as from the following day, the critics in the press were enthusiastic. The other operas and operettas programmed for the season
at the Plaza and Port-Louis theatres were: The Merry Widow, Faust, Waltzes from Vienna, Tosca, The girl in the taxi, Rêve de Valse,
The Bells of Corneville, Werther, Chanson d’amour, La Vie de Bohême, Pas sur la Bouche, Princess Czardas, The Count of Luxemburg,
Paganini, The Land of Smiles, Four days in Paris, The Musketeers at the Convent, Clairette’s 28 days, Andalousie, …
Even if The Pearl Fishers was only performed thrice by the end of the season, it was nevertheless a premiere.
The daily newspaper Le Mauricien was enthusiastic about the brilliant performance of Richard Gaillan (Nadir) and Mathilde
Siderer (Leila). « M. Gaillan has a generous voice, very soft in the halftones. (…) Miss Siderer was a delicate and tender Leila
at will. … Her voice is as subtle as satin; if she sometimes lacks conviction in the trills which do not warble enough, she is able in the
lyrics to fly rapidly very high, with energy and grace … » Same praises and positive comments for the other main characters :
Paul Louino = a Zurga of high standards ; Jean Mathieu = a priestly Nourabad… The only element spoiling the picture « The corps de ballet
should be more careful concerning the movements in group which were not satisfying. »
It’s only in October 1991 that The Pearl Fishers was once more proposed to local music lovers. This time, the opera is
« mauritianised »! The director Michel Ballet, who was then realising his third opera in Mauritius after La Traviata and Carmen,
chose to locate the drama in Mahébourg and to give local names to the characters: Nadir became Navin while Zurga changed for Rama and Nourabad,
for Suresh. ! Leila was presented as born in Crève-Cœur. The old temple was placed on the Lion Mountain. The Police Band played the music.
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