Bizet’s luscious opera The Pearl Fishers features the beauty of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in this heart-rending struggle to the death between friendship and love.

In the instantly recognizable duet, "Au fond du temple saint", best friends Zurga and Nadir swear that their friendship will never again be challenged by the love of a woman. Of course, as with all good foreshadowing, the arrival of a veiled and anonymous priestess does exactly that.

As the men each realize that the priestess is, in fact, Lei¨la, the woman they both once loved and fought over, the triangles at play in the opera are not simply between the three main characters. A battle also ensues between friendship, love and vows made in faith, and as secrets are revealed and vows are broken, love can only be won through sacrifice. But who must ultimately lose everything to allow the others to find love and happiness?