Dialogues des Carmélites (Dialogues of the Carmelites) is a French opera in three acts, divided into twelve scenes with linking orchestral interludes, with music and libretto by Francis Poulenc, completed in 1956. The composer's second opera, Poulenc wrote the libretto after the work of the same name by Georges Bernanos. The opera tells a fictionalised version of the story of the Martyrs of Compiègne, Carmelite nuns who, in 1794 during the closing days of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, were guillotined in Paris for refusing to renounce their vocation.
| Original Name | Dialogues des carmélites |
| Librettist | Francis Poulenc (Based on a scheme by Georges Bernanos, based on the novella "Die Letzte am Schafott" ("The Last on the Scaffold or Song at the Scaffold") by Gertrud von Le Fort.) |
| Premiered | 1957, June 21st in Paris, France |
| Type | Opera |
| Approx. duration | 150 minutes |
| Spoken language | French |
| Instruments |
Voice (Baritone)
- Le marquis de la Force
Voice (Tenor) - Le chevalier de la Force, fils du marquis de la Force (Marquis's son) Voice (Soprano) - Blanche de la Force, plus tard « sœur Blanche de l'Agonie-du-Christ », fille du marquis de la Force (Marquis's daughter, Sister Blanche of the Agony of Christ) Voice (Baritone) - Thierry, laquais (a footman) Voice (Contralto) - Mme de Croissy, dite mère Henriette de Jésus, la première prieure (the prioress of the monastery) Voice (Soprano) - Sœur Constance de Saint-Denis, novice (Sister Constance of St. Denis, a young novice) Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Mère Marie de l'Incarnation, sous-prieure (Mother Marie of the Incarnation, sub-prioress) Voice (Baritone) - M. Javelinot, médecin (a doctor) Voice (Soprano) - Mme Lidoine, dite mère Thérèse de Saint-Augustin, la nouvelle prieure (Mother Marie of St. Augustine, the new prioress) Voice (Contralto) - Mère Jeanne de l'Enfant-Jésus (Mother Jeanne of the Holy Child Jesus, the oldest nun) Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Sœur Mathilde (Sister Mathilde) Voice (Tenor) - Le père confesseur du couvent (Chaplain of the monastery) Voice (Tenor) - Le premier commissaire (First commissioner) Voice (Baritone) - Le second commissaire (Second commissioner) Voice (Bass) - Un officier (Officer) Voice (Baritone) - Le geôlier (Jailer) Narrator, Recitant, Speaker - Deux vieilles (two old ladies) Narrator, Recitant, Speaker - Un vieux monsieur (old man) Chorus/Choir - Carmélites, Foule (Carmelites, officers, prisoners, townspeople) Orchestra |
| In listings |
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Famous Works
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| Autotranslations beta |
Francis Poulenc: Dialogues of the Carmelites Francis Poulenc: Dialogues of the Carmelites Francis Poulenc: Dialogues of the Carmelites |