Dialogues des Carmélites by Francis Poulenc

On the 17th. July, 1794, at the peak of the Reign of Terror headed by Robespierre, sixteen Carmelites convicted of crimes against the French people were executed at the Place de la Révolution in Paris. Poulenc’s opera, based on Bernano’s homonymous play is composed by small scenes, or dialogues , that denounce in each note and word a profound and disquieting analysis on terror and martyrdom. The final scene, when the voices interrupt each other as the guillotine performs its task, is dramatically and musically speaking one of the most heart-rending of all operatic repertoire. In an ironical and unexpected twist, Robespierre himself would be sentenced to death 10 days later and beheaded by the same guillotine that executed the Carmelites. Dialogues des Carmelites was premiered at Scala in 1957 and was immediately recognized as a 20th Century operatic masterpiece.  On that same year Jack Kerouac publishes his On the Road, Broadway premiered Bernstein’s West Side Story, the Soviets inaugurated the Space Era launching the Sputnik I and Queen Elizabeth of England visits Portugal for the first time.

Conductor | João Paulo Santos

Director | Luís Miguel Cintra

Marquês de la Force | Luís Rodrigues

Blanche | Dora Rodrigues

Cavaleiro de la Force | Mário João Alves

Madame de Croissy | Ana Ester Neves

Madame Lidoine | Ana Paula Russo

Madre Marie de l’ Incarnation | Maria Luísa de Freitas

Sister Constance de St. Denis | Eduarda Melo

Coro do Teatro Nacional de São Carlos
Principal Conductor | Giovanni Andreoli

Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa
Principal Conductor | Joana Carneiro

Opera in 3 Acts and 12 Scenes
Based on the play by Georges Bernanos

New Production  | TNSC