Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met’s season closes with a devastating, musically ravishing DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES

• By drediman
• May 4, 2019
• No Comments

The company of Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites” at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo by Ken Howard.

Last night, I caught my final production of the Metropolitan Opera season, Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. The work is widely considered one of the greatest operas of the second half of the twentieth century (it was written in 1956), and rightfully so. Set during the French Revolution, the opera tells the story of the largely fictitious events leading up to the historically-based execution of sixteen Carmelite nuns. Poulenc’s score is an accomplished melding of sacred music, sensitive vocal writing, and deeply moving set pieces like “Ave Maria” and “Salve regina”. The latter, in particular, is among the most devastating stretches  in all of opera.

Dialogues des Carmélites is also a beautifully observed piece of music theater (Poulenc also wrote the libretto), a powerful meditation on faith and community in the face of absolute terror. I had seen the opera only once before, in a production by Robert Carsen at Chicago’s Lyric Opera more than a decade ago. Truth be told, I actually prefer Mr. Carsen’s more severe and stylized production, but John Dexter’s 1977 production for the Met is the very model of tasteful minimalism. And with music-making as downright miraculous as yesterday’s performance, I’m not complaining.

Indeed, with Dialogues des Carmélites, maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met’s newly appointed music director, has produced one of his finest readings at the mighty opera house yet. He’s brought out the very best from the fabulous Met Orchestra, in a musical performance that was both richly detailed and flowing with intensity and feeling. This revival’s cast is just about perfect and is led by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, who is developing into one of opera’s finest singing actresses (she was so excellent earlier this season in the title role of Nico Muhly’s Marnie). And I must mention the great Karita Mattila, playing an older sickly nun to completely shattering effect.

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DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES
Opera
The Metropolitan Opera
3 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
In repertory through May 11