What makes an opera work…besides technically excellent singing and music? I find that for most operas there are one or two elements that must be there to make the opera work for me. For example, it is the ability of the singer/actress in La Traviata to portray the awakening of soulful love and depth of character in the courtesan Violetta, and in La Bohème, the effective portrayal of an endearingly innocent Mimi and heartfelt camaraderie among the bohemians Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard and Colline are essential. I had not seen Dialogues des Carmèlites (1957) before, but on one viewing, it is clear that the group of female singer/actors playing the nuns must convey the depth of their feelings for each other and convincingly portray a sense of community among themselves; thus, regardless of religious convictions or affiliations of the audience, the humanity revealed is powerful and seductive, as we increasingly come to care about these individuals caught up in deadly historical turbulence. Wolf Trap Opera selects the operas for their summer season after knowing which singers survived their competition and will be joining them that year. This year’s group of singers and Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmèlites proved to be a match made in heaven.
Blanche de la Force (Erin Wagner) discusses her safety from revolutionary gangs with her father (left, Jonathan Patton), the Marquis de la Force and her brother (right, Travon D. Walker) the Chevalier de la Force. Photos by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.
Francis Poulenc, pianist and the composer and librettist of Dialogues has been a cult like figure in his following. Born into a wealthy family, he had access to the influencers of his day but was not accepted into the established classical music community. He did not have formal music training. His mother, a pianist, gave him lessons, and he later worked with several mentors. His early compositions of music and songs had a following, but he was often dismissed as a lightweight composer. He rebelled, but later a major event, the death of his closest friend, returned him to his Catholic faith and more serious music. His output of music, songs, ballets, and operas is now highly regarded; he is especially admired for the beauty of his sacred music. Of his three operas, Dialogues des Carmèlites and Le Voix Humaine are the most highly regarded and continue to be performed by major opera companies. Interestingly, at the time of his opera compositions, he was working closely with French soprano, Denise Duval; she later starred in productions of all three.
Blanche (Erin Wagner) discusses her decision to join the Carmèlites with her father (Jonathan Patton). Photos by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.
Dialogues is based on the true story of 16 Carmèlite nuns of Compiègne, France, who were beheaded by guillotine on the orders of authorities near the end of the French Revolution and its Reign of Terror. Religious practices at that time, especially that associated with the Catholic Church, were banned; Catholics, especially, were viewed as friends and supporters of the overthrown monarchy. Though the Compiègne convent was closed, the nuns remained true to their faith, continuing their assembly and religious practices. They were subsequently convicted of being “enemies of the people” and sentenced to death. It was an exceedingly dangerous period; estimates are that between 1793 and 1794 more than 16,000 people in France were beheaded. The nuns sought the salvation of France and the French church through their martyrdom. As a result of their act of faith, they were beatified as the Martyrs of Compiègne in 1906 by Pope Pius X and canonized by Pope Francis in 2024.
A dying Prioress Madame de Croissy (Cecelia McKinley) expresses despair to her caretaker, Mother Marie (Gabrielle Beteag). Photos by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.
One of the nuns, Sister Marie, had been called away to attend to family matters and lived to tell their story, later made into a novella, a play, Poulenc’s opera, and a movie. Official records of the time also substantiate the history portrayed, except for the added character of Blanche de la Force, a character that first appeared in the 1931 novella, The Song of the Scaffold by Gertrude von le Fort. The opera’s French libretto was adapted from the eponymous play by George Bernanos published in 1949 and completed by Poulenc in 1956, premiering at La Scala in Milan in 1957, sung in Italian. The composer desired the opera to be sung in the language of the audience and many productions in the US have been sung in English. The modern use of supertitles in the language of the audience has largely removed the advantage of performing it in a language other than French which was originally paired with the composer’s music.
The new prioress Madame Lidoine (Keely Futterer) is with Mother Marie (Gabrielle Beteag). Photos by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.
Wolf Trap Opera’s The Barns venue has a small stage and small orchestra requiring substantial creativity in staging an opera that has 16-plus characters on stage much of the time. Director Katherine M. Carter went simple – a stage floor in the shape of a cross backed by a line of decorative arches, with the orchestra seated behind the arches on stage. It worked well enough for a play where dialog revealing motivations and relationships is the focus; the story is constructed using 12 scenes built around dialogs between the characters. The stage appeared tilted towards the audience, highlighting the singer(s) in the spotlight. The costumes, designed by Caitlin Cisek, were outstanding in conveying the setting for the story. The agonizing early death scene of the nun’s leader, Madame de Croissy was handled effectively. The scene where Sister Blanche leaves the convent, and in the next scene has taken refuge working as a servant in her ransacked home might have been confusing if I had not read the program. I also take issue with what is a highly impactful ending to Poulenc’s opera. The beheading of the nuns was signified by having them stand alone, then a light comes on and a sound follows signifying their death by guillotine. As staged, it seemed to me more like they were having their picture taken, creative in highlighting the nuns individually, but a more grisly guillotine sound would have been more climatic (though I applaud the lack of spewing blood); the composer included the sound of the guillotine in his score. Nonetheless, the ending having the nuns depart the stage one by one while singing “Salve Regina” with the loss of their voices one by one was highly dramatic. My wife, whom I rely on for editing, insists that I add that the scene brought tears to her eyes.
The real story of both the opera and Wolf Trap Opera’s production is the excellence of the singers. The voices were impressive across the board. Mostly the vocals are conversational supported by Poulenc’s tonal, expressive music, with different scenes providing dialogues on the thoughts and feelings of issues being addressed revealing the character of the individual characters. The principal roles featured primarily WTO’s Filene Artists with WTO’s Studio Artists covering the supporting roles and providing the WTO Chorus.
The Chaplain (Nathaniel Bear) blesses the martyrs to be. Photos by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.
Mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner as Blanche led off the parade of nuns in a scene responding to her brother’s fear for her safety as local mobs threatened the lives of aristocrats, and in informing her father of her decision to become a nun. She sang beautifully, conveying her underlying fears and hope to find refuge with the sisters; her voice has a special timbre imbued with beauty and emotion that is endearing. She was convincing in her transformation. Her father the Marquis was ably played by baritone Jonathan Patton (recently seen as Steve Jobs in a performance with Washington National Opera) and tenor Travon D. Walker was a believable, concerned brother.
Mother Superior Madame Croissy, who lovingly accepts Blanche into the fold after warning her that their order was not a refuge but a home of prayer, was played by contralto Cecilia McKinley. She gave a strong vocal performance and a stunning emotional performance in Croissy’s tortured death scene, unsettling her caretakers and the audience with her cries that God had forsaken her. She placed the care of Blanche in Mother Marie’s hands, the nun who wanted to also be among the martyrs but became the sole survivor. She was played by mezzo-soprano Gabriel Beteag who, in a standout performance, sang with clear and convincing authority though the conclave’s leadership role went to Madame Lidoine played by soprano Keely Futterer. She sang beautifully, demonstrating ample concern for her flock and a higher calling in leading them to forfeit their lives for their calling. In another standout performance, soprano Gemma Nha sang with beauty and clarity as Constance who foresaw that she and Blanche would die together on the same day. I will also single out tenor Nathaniel Bear who played the role of The Chaplain; he sang well and was convincing in the role. Many supporting players enhanced the performance.
Constance arrives at the guillotine to meet her maker. Photos by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.
Poulenc composed this opera for performance by a full orchestra. Space limitations required WTO to use a reduced orchestra which was fitting for the venue. Poulenc’s music is attuned to both the drama and the personality of each character, very tonal and melodic in nature, quite enjoyable, though not without its own emotional outbursts. The opera is organzed around the dialogs in each scene, and Poulenc has been praised for composing music tailored to the specific character of each individual player. Led by Conductor Geoffrey MacDonald, the Wolf Trap Opera Orchestra played expertly, delivering the music’s power and pathos more than adequately. In fact, my one small caveat is that at times it was played with a ferocity that challenged the singers for primacy. The WTO Chorus of Studio Artists led by Chorus Master Christopher Turbessi performed beautifully, significantly enhancing the performance.
Spurred by curiosity, I approached attending this opera with some trepidation; spending the evening observing a group of nuns headed towards being beheaded had limited appeal. However, leaving Wolf Trap Opera’s performance of the Dialogues, I felt the power of dedication to a cause and love of one another came forth strongly in the face of overzealous, murderous regime change. Personally, beyond the engaging story and beautiful music and vocals, I found the power of this excellent performance of an impactful opera led me to experience a strong, underlying connection to the nuns, individuals very different from myself. Nuns are people; so am I, and so are you. That means something not to be overlooked in a time of historical turbulence.
The Fan Experience: Performances of Dialogues des Carmèlites were scheduled for July 18, 20, 24, 26 in The Barns. The opera is sung in Italian with supertitles in English on an overhead screen. The performance lasted about 3 hours including a 20-minute intermission. Limited tickets were available at the time of this report. A pre-opera talk was offered for ticket holders one hour before performances by dramaturg Cori Ellison.
The Barns overall is an excellent venue for opera, intimate with good acoustics. Even the seats at the back and in the balcony are relatively close to the performers, but some of those in the very front and the very back on the floor lack a view of the surtitles. The floor seats are not tiered but those in the balcony are tiered; some balcony seats are restricted view by structural posts. Food and beverages are available before the performances and during intermissions; drinks are allowed in the theater. During DC’s hot and humid summers, it has excellent air-conditioning. Parking is free, plentiful and is easy-in/easy-out.