Francis Poulenc
Dialogues des Carmélites (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
Opera in three acts, in French, with Hungarian and English surtitles
Serving as the basis for French composer Francis Poulenc's opera was the true story of the martyrs of Compiègne: during the French Revolution, the terreur and the Jacobin dictatorship's antagonism toward the Church resulted in the execution of sixteen Carmelite nuns in Paris on 17 July 1794. Their hair shorn and singing the Veni, Creator Spiritus, the sisters each took their places under the guillotine. (The dictatorship came to an end exactly ten days later, with Robespierre himself being decapitated.)
At the centre of the story stands a young aristocratic girl, Blanche de la Force, who is driven by fear to flee to the convent. Through her struggles, the composer shows the trial of faith in a work whose finale is perhaps both the most fantastic and the most shocking in the operatic literature.
The work was staged by Ferenc Anger.
DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES
Opera by Francis Poulenc
Text from the drama by Georges Bernanos adapted with the authorisation of Emmet Lavery
from a story by Gertrude Von Le Fort and a scenario by Rev. Bruckberger and Philippe Agostini
Publisher Casa Ricordi, Milan
General cast
Conductor:János Kovács
Blanche de la Force: Gabriella Létay Kiss
Marquis de la Force: Anatoly Fokanov
Chevalier de la Force: Gergely Boncsér
Madame de Croissy, the prioress: Lívia Budai / Bernadett Wiedemann
Madame Lidoine, the new prioress: Zita Váradi
Mother Marie of the Incarnation: Gabriella Balga
Sister Constance of St. Denis: Zita Szemere
Mother Jeanne: Éva Balatoni
Sister Mathilde: Melinda Heiter
Father Confessor: János Szerekován
First commissary: Tivadar Kiss
Second commissary: Róbert Rezsnyák
Officer: Géza Zsigmond
Credits
Libretto after the drama of Georges Bernanos: Francis Poulenc
Director: Ferenc Anger
Costume designer: Éva Szendrényi
Costume designer: Gergely Zöldy Z
Dramaturg, Hungarian surtitles: Judit Kenesey
English surtitles: Arthur Roger Crane
Chorus director: Gábor Csiki
