Usually it is said that the operas of Francis Poulenc can be divided into two groups: some of the operas as totally absurd stories and other are deeply religious. “Dialogues of the Carmelites” that I saw in the Royal Opera in Stockholm belongs to the latter group.
The story of the opera is based on a true story: a group of Carmelite nuns, who only ten days before the death of Robespierre, during the last few days of the French Revolution are sentenced to death and executed. In the opera a noble girl, Blanche, joins the Carmelite order in the beginning of the Revolution and joins the other nuns again in the eve of the execution after having first fled the convent.
The director, Johanna Garpe, had left room for the strong story and the set design (Per A. Jonsson) had been minimized. Also the costume design (Nina Sandström) was mainly rather simple, quite understandably, since the main characters were nuns. I liked Garpe’s work, though occasionally the grand gestures during the prayers did disturb me. I very much doubt that prayers in the 16th century convent were choreographed that heavily. And the arrest of the nuns mixed with common people in modern clothes was also a rather unusual scene.
From musical point of view the opera was interesting. Sometimes the story was so absorbing that that you paid little attention to the music itself, but in other parts to music was truly compelling. The best known scene of the opera is definitely the end scene, where the nuns – singing “Salve Regina” – one after another face the executioners and die. Truly impressive!
The soloists were also very good. The role of the old prioress was sung with iron professionalism by Ann Sofie von Otter. You can only admire the quality of her voice and her acting as the dying prioress. The second soloist that made an especially great effect on me was Sofie Asplund, who sang the role of Sister Constance. Such lovely voice combined with great acting as the deeply religious, but positive convent sister.
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