“Au fond du temple saint” from Les pêcheurs de perles (1863)

Bizet’s youthful opera Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) cannot compete for popularity with his last work, Carmen, written more than ten years later. It does, however, contain one of the most stirring of all operatic duets for tenor and baritone. Zurga and his old friend Nadir are both fishermen in Ceylon and both are in love with Leila, a priestess of Brahma. To preserve their friendship they have both sworn to renounce her and in “Au fond du temple saint,” which they sing to an appropriately noble melody with virtuously straightforward harmonies, they renew their vow. Unfortunately, good intentions do not in the end prevail.