What a discovery! Why hadn’t I experienced this before?
I’ve seen three or four Les Pêcheurs de Perles live on stage in the past, but this time… I don’t know if all my senses were more alert, but it was absolutely electrifying! And how much I’m starting to love concert versions — more and more, I wonder why theaters struggling with budget issues don’t opt for this format more often!
For my final evening at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, I had the immense pleasure of hearing four soloists on stage: Pene Pati, Florian Sempey, Edwin Crossley-Mercer, and Elsa Benoît. This concert now ranks firmly in my top 5 live opera performances in concert format — without a doubt.
The evening began, quite emotionally, with a tribute to mezzo-soprano Béatrice Uria-Monzon, who passed away that same day and was especially known for her portrayal of Carmen — a beautiful coincidence of fate, as I was hearing a masterpiece by the same composer that night.
I have to begin with… the triumph — and that word feels too small — of Pene Pati. The Samoan tenor already feels like the darling, even the mascot, of this festival — thanks to both his immense talent and his incredible generosity. This was a role debut for him, and yet he delivered with commanding vocal presence, extraordinary stage charisma, a radiant smile, and perfect French. Tenors like him give us so much confidence in the future of opera. There’s no doubt in my mind that in the decades to come, Pene Pati will be one of the defining tenors of our era.
Facing him on stage was the ever-impressive French baritone Florian Sempey, who continues to surprise and delight me. The more time passes, the more I realize what an incredible baritone he is — understated, committed, and immensely talented. The ovation at the end of the evening only confirmed what I already knew. Beautiful sustained notes, excellent acting, and a fantastic chemistry with Pene Pati — just perfect.
Then came the evening’s true discovery: Elsa Benoît, the only female voice in the cast, and what a presence she was. A beautiful, radiant voice, crystal-clear legato, and a magnificent emotional sensitivity — it was a true pleasure to listen to her.
As for Edwin Crossley-Mercer, he portrayed Nourabad with great finesse and precision — a role I didn’t know well, but greatly appreciated through his performance.
Once again, thank you to the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence for such a warm and unique welcome, for the special atmosphere that surrounds everything you do, and for the care and attention you give to making audiences feel at home. A varied and exciting musical offering, spot-on casting, and a friendly and efficient communications team — I already look forward to coming back next year to Cézanne country. And I do hope to find a little more Giuseppe Verdi on the program next time! 😊
CAST
Conductor
Marc Minkowski
Leïla
Elsa Benoit
Nadir
Pene Pati
Zurga
Florian Sempey
Nourabad
Edwin Crossley-Mercer*
