As if by fate, I went to see the opera Les Pêcheurs de Perles on International Friendship Day. The work by Georges Bizet is something of a hidden gem (yes, pun intended), often overshadowed by the opera more commonly associated with the French composer: Carmen. There’s no way to fix the injustice that one’s perfection should eclipse the other’s equal beauty, but that’s life — and Bizet died young, 150 years ago, without ever witnessing the success of either.

The production at Theatro Municipal do Rio is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen this year — and I say this coming off a spectacular Swan Lake. Les Pêcheurs de Perles is about a love that defies time, but more than that, it explores how love and friendship can coexist and also clash with rules and jealousy. Nadir and Léïla are passionate lovers, but it is his friend Zurga who sacrifices himself for the two in a tragic and emotional twist in the story.

The cast is incredible — I had the joy of seeing the deservedly applauded Carlos Ullán (Nadir), Ludmilla Bauerfeldt (Léïla), and Vinicius Atique (Zurga) in the lead roles. A large screen showing images reflecting both the dangers of pearl fishing and the singers’ inner imaginings, along with a breathtaking set, transported us to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the 19th century. As mentioned, the opera tells a story of renunciation and sacrifice, and of a friendship between two men, Nadir and Zurga, threatened by their love for the same woman — a Hindu priestess, Léïla, who is herself torn between her love for Nadir and her vow of chastity.

Les Pêcheurs de Perles has a few arias and duets that have become true gems in the lyrical repertoire — even if the opera itself is less known to general audiences. Its most famous piece, and essentially its leitmotif, is Au fond du temple saint. With a simple yet deeply moving melody, it contrasts and harmonizes the two voices (tenor and baritone) with a vocal line that swells like a gentle wave. For the soprano who sings Léïla, Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre stands out by combining lyricism with emotional intensity. But the true jewel of the opera is found in a brief, transcendent moment sung by Nadir: Je crois entendre encore.

You know when a piece of music seems to float in the air, as if coming from a place between memory and dream? Je crois entendre encore is exactly that. An aria so delicate, so enchanting, it feels like it was made to be discovered little by little.

Here, Bizet — who would later write for tenors the famous La fleur que tu m’avais jetée (Carmen) — is working in an entirely different register: romantic, whispered, almost mystical. It’s the moment when Nadir, alone, relives the instant he first heard the voice of the woman he loved — and the memory pierces him like music drifting through warm air.

The melody of Je crois entendre encore demands something close to a vocal miracle: high falsetto notes, perfect pianissimos, and a legato as smooth as silk. It’s hard to sing well — and easy to falter. Perhaps that’s why it’s less popular than other tenor arias, but among connoisseurs, it is a true treasure.

Je crois entendre encore, cachée sous les palmiers,
Sa voix tendre et sonore, comme un chant de ramier…
(I still believe I hear, hidden beneath the palm trees,
Her tender and sonorous voice, like the song of a dove…)

This aria doesn’t shout its brilliance — it whispers. It’s intimate, ethereal, and for that very reason unforgettable when heard the right way. Great tenors like Alain Vanzo, Nicolai Gedda, and Beniamino Gigli have brought it to life with tenderness. In more recent times, Juan Diego Flórez and Lawrence Brownlee have recaptured that near-impossible lightness, as if holding a flame in their hands.

Je crois entendre encore isn’t just beautiful — it’s hypnotic. A memory that Nadir tries to grasp, but which slips away like breeze, like perfume, like a voice in the distance. And maybe that’s why it’s so powerful: because it reminds us of all the things too beautiful to last.

If you’re in Rio, the Les Pêcheurs de Perles season runs through July 26. It’s absolutely worth it!