Poulenc
Dialogues des Carmélites
Ever since John Dexter’s striking production marked the company premiere of Dialogues des Carmélites in 1977, Poulenc’s devastating masterpiece has been a favorite of Met audiences. To close out the 2018–19 season, Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin led a starry revival of the opera, which was also included as part of the Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard is the fearful Blanche de la Force, who joins a convent of Carmelite nuns in order to escape the terrors of the French Revolution. The exceptional cast also features sopranos Erin Morley and Adrianne Pieczonka and mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill as some of Blanche’s fellow sisters, with tenor David Portillo as the protective Chevalier de la Force. Maestro Nézet-Séguin leads a gripping performance throughout—from the opera’s chaotic first bars to the chilling death scene of Madame de Croissy (sung by the incomparable Karita Mattila) to the work’s harrowing final moments.
Full SynopsisPerformance Info
Performance Date
May 11, 2019
Composer
Francis Poulenc
Librettist
Francis Poulenc
Run Time
2 HRS 53 MIN
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus