Dialogues of the Carmelites ( in French, Dialogues des Carmélites) is an opera in three acts by Francis Poulenc. In 1953, M. Valcarenghi approached Poulenc to commission a ballet for la Scala in Milan; when Poulenc found the proposed subject uninspiring, Valcarenghi suggested instead the screenplay by Georges Bernanos, based on the novella Die Letzte am Schafott (The Last on the Scaffold), by Gertrud von le Fort. Von le Fort's story was based in turn on historical events which took place at a Carmelite convent in Compiègne during the French Revolution. Some sources credit Emmet Lavery as librettist or co-librettist, but others only say "With the permission of Emmet Lavery." According to the article by Ivry, cited below, Lavery owned the theatrical rights to the story, and following a legal judgement over the copyright, his name must be given in connection with all staged performances. The opera was first performed in an Italian version at la Scala on 26 January 1957; the original French version premiered 21 June 1957 by the Paris Théâtre National de l'Opéra (the current Opéra National de Paris). The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (IPA: ) (January 7, 1899 - January 30, 1963) was a French composer and a member of the French group Les Six. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, by night. ... This article is about the city in Italy. ... Georges Bernanos (February 20, 1888 – July 5, 1948) was a French author, and a soldier in World War I. Of Catholic and monarchist leanings, he was a violent adversary to bourgeois thought and to a certain defeatism that led, in his view, to Frances defeat in 1940. ... Origin and early history Carmelites (in Latin Ordo fratrum Beatæ Virginis Mariæ de monte Carmelo) is the name of a Roman Catholic order founded in the 12th century by a certain Berthold (d. ... This article is about an abbey as a religious building. ... Compiègne is a commune in the Oise département of France, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... Libretto can also refer to a sub-notebook PC manufactured by Toshiba. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, by night. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 21 is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 193 days remaining. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Opéra National de Paris is the leading opera company of France. ...

The Dialogues contributes to Poulenc's reputation as a composer especially of fine vocal music. The dialogues are largely set in recitative, with a melodic line that closely follows the text. The harmonies are lush, with the occasional wrenching twists that are characteristic of Poulenc's style. Poulenc's deep religious feelings are particularly evident in the gorgeous a cappella setting of Ave Maria in Act II, Scene II, and the Ave verum corpus in Act II, Scene IV. A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. ... Ave Maria (Latin: Hail, Maria or Hail, Mary) can refer to: The Hail Mary or Ave Maria, a prayer; also the time of day in Italy when the church bells toll. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts setting of the ancient hymn Ave verum Corpus, K.618, was written for Anton Stoll (a friend of his and Haydns) who was musical co-ordinator in the parish of Baden, near Vienna. ...

The libretto is unusually deep in its psychological study of the contrasting characters of Mère Marie de l'Incarnation and Blanche de la Force.

The popularity of the Dialogues of the Carmelites appears to be growing. Two television productions are available on DVD. The original recording with Pierre Dervaux conducting is considered by some to be the finest audio version.

Roles

This article is about the city in Italy. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... June 21 is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 193 days remaining. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Baritone (French: baryton; Deutsch: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Virginia Zeani (born Virginia Zehan, October 21, 1925, in Transylvania, Romania) was one of the greatest operatic sopranos of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Denise Duval, born October 23, 1921, is a French soprano, best known for her performances in works by the composer Francis Poulenc. ... Baritone (French: baryton; Deutsch: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... Baritone (French: baryton; Deutsch: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Leyla Gencer The opera singer Leyla Gencer, (born October 10, 1928) in Istanbul, Turkey, is a famous soprano. ... In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice. ... Baritone (French: baryton; Deutsch: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... Baritone (French: baryton; Deutsch: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... Baritone (French: baryton; Deutsch: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Plot synopsis

The action takes place during the French Revolution and subsequent Terror.

Act I.

The pathologically timid Blanche de la Force decides to retreat from the world and enter a Carmelite convent. The Mother Superior informs her that the Carmelite order is not a refuge: it is the duty of the nuns to guard the Order, not the other way around. In the convent, the jolly Sister Constance tells Blanche (to her consternation) that she has had a dream that the two of them will die young together. The Mother Superior, who is dying, commits Blanche to the care of Mother Marie. The Mother Superior passes away in great agony, shouting in her delirium that despite her long years of service to God, He has abandoned her. Blanche and Mother Marie, who witness her death, are shaken.

Act II.

Sister Constance remarks to Blanche that the Mother Superior's death seemed unworthy of her, and speculates that she had been given the wrong death, as one might be given the wrong coat in a cloakroom. Perhaps someone else will find death surprisingly easy. Perhaps we die not for ourselves alone, but for each other.

Blanche's brother, the Chevalier de la Force, arrives to announce that their father thinks Blanche should withdraw from the convent, since she is not safe there (being a member of both the nobility and the clergy). Blanche refuses, saying that she has found happiness in the Carmelite order, but later admits to Mother Marie that it is fear (or the fear of fear itself, as the Chevalier expresses it) that keeps her from leaving.

The chaplain announces that he has been forbidden to preach (presumably for being a non-juror under the Civil Constitution of the Clergy). The nuns remark on how fear now governs the country, and no one has the courage to stand up for the priests. Sister Constance asks, "Are there no men left to come to the aid of the country?" "When priests are lacking, martyrs are superabundant," replies the new Mother Superior. Mother Marie says that the Carmelites can save France by giving their lives, but the Mother Superior corrects her: it is not permitted to become a martyr voluntarily; martyrdom is a gift from God. A non-juror is a person who refuses to swear a particular oath. ... The law of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (Fr. ...

A police officer announces that the Legislative Assembly has nationalized the convent and its property, and the nuns must give up their habits. When Mother Marie acquiesces, the officer taunts her for being eager to dress like everyone else. She replies that the nuns will continue to serve, no matter how they are dressed. "The people has no need of servants," proclaims the officer haughtily. "No, but it has a great need for martyrs," responds Mother Marie. "In times like these, death is nothing," he says. "Life is nothing," she answers, "when it is so debased." During the French Revolution, the Legislative Assembly was the legislature of France from October 1, 1791 to September 1792. ...

Act III.

In the absence of the new Mother Superior, Mother Marie proposes that the nuns take a vow of martyrdom. However, all must agree, or Mother Marie will not insist. A secret vote is held; there is one dissenting voice. Sister Constance declares that she was the dissenter, and that she has changed her mind, so the vow can proceed. Blanche runs away from the convent, and Mother Marie finds her in her father's library. Her father has been guillotined, and Blanche has been forced to serve her former servants.

The nuns are all arrested and condemned to death, but Mother Marie is away (with Blanche, presumably) at the time. The chaplain tells Mother Marie that since God has chosen to spare her, she cannot now voluntarily become a martyr by joining the others in prison. The nuns march to the scaffold, singing Salve Regina. At the last minute, Blanche appears, to Constance's joy; but as she mounts the scaffold, Blanche changes the hymn to Deo patri sit gloria (All praise be thine, O risen Lord). The Salve Regina or is one of four Marian antiphons sung at different seasons. ...

References and external links

• Cries from the Scaffold, Benjamin Ivry, Commonweal, 6 April 2001.
• Dialogues des Carmélites, Henri Hell, liner notes to the recording EMI compact disc no. 7493312.