Francis Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites / Marthe Keller · Schmidt, Denize, Petibon, Millot, Dale, Henry · Latham-Koenig (L'Opéra National du Rhin)

From the Editors

French composer Francis Poulenc was both an ardent Catholic and a free-loving homosexual, making the achievement of his intensely personal opera, <I>Dialogues des Carmélites</I>, even more remarkable. Although widely known as a mere purveyor of endlessly charming and witty music (including some of the most perfectly constructed songs of the entire 20th century), Poulenc also wrote many substantial compositions, of which the three-act <I>Carmélites</I> ranks highest. Based on Georges Bernanos's story about young Blanche, a selfless nun martyred along with the rest of her convent during the French Revolution, <I>Carmélites</I>, thanks to its composer's considerable musical and dramatic skills, is one of the most emotionally direct and unapologetically moral of all modern operas.<p> For this 1999 production at the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg, France, actress-turned-director Marthe Keller does a superlative job of conveying Poulenc's intentions. Her spare staging effectively evokes the austere world of the cloistered nuns, and there are many striking images, notably the opera's final tragic moments when the women literally drop, one by one, to the musical sound of the guillotine's blade. In a first-rate cast, Anne Sophie Schmidt is an especially touching Blanche, and conductor Jan Latham-Koenig has masterly control over the emotional ebb and flow of Poulenc's score. The DVD sound is full and rich, the subtitles are adequate, and Don Kent's video direction includes visual felicities--like slow-motion, still images, and black and white--that underscore the preordained doom without overdoing it. <I>--Kevin Filipski</I>
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Customer Response

Powerful Poulenc
I spent a nice couple of hours reacquainting myself with this performance which I had not seen perhaps since its release over a decade ago. I remember being very moved by it then, and fail to understand as to why I waited so long to experience it again.

What a stunning, theatrically compelling and insightful production Marthe Keller put upon the Strousburg stage. Many would complain about the starkness of the set which is, more frequently than not, bare. Poulenc's opera (as John Dexter's similarly spartan stage proved decades before) holds up well in such a "setting" allowing not only more detailed portrayals of its finely nuanced characters, but for the viewer/listener to focus on those portrayals. The reward is a rich one in such a case as this.

Anne Sophie Schmidt gives us a deeply touching portrayal of Blanche, her face - particularly when framed by her wimple - registering every one of the frightened by the world, heroine's emotions. Those nuances come through, too, in her handling of the music, though (as is the case with several other cast members) high notes can feel a bit screeched out (of course, Poulenc is not easy on his singers, requiring some specatcular "leaping" effects at the ends of phrases).

The always wonderful Patricia Petibon gives a performance of Constance that elevates the chirpy young nun to a place of genuine dramatic prominence. The scenes between Blanche and Constance are powerful, a real connection is made between these two young novices which makes the final moment of an already overwhelmingly emotional scene, almost unbearable in its poignancy and strength.

Hedwig Fassbender is a strong presence, and captures brilliantly the almost over zealousness with which she wants the order to pursue martyrdom - it's almost an obsession. Her street scene with the Priest when she realizes she is not to be martyred presents a powerfully conflicted and wilfull woman denied the one thing she most desired.

Even if it took a few minutes for me to warm up to the voice of Valérie Millot, she made a fine and touching Mme. Lidoine - entirely believeable in her modesty.

I have always been something of a fan of Nadine Denize and she captures, quite perfectly, the severity, hope and charm of Madame de Croissy. Her death scene is (as it built into the role itself) one of the most chilling, terrifying moments one can experience on stage. I loved the connection here between de Croissy and Blanche, the young nun cradling the dying woman - a symbol of authority and order she so much needs in her life. I dare anyone to keep a dry eye here!

As a director, Keller provides some amazing effects in her production, an almost air-raid style roar near the end, the filmed sequences in black and white which are captured beautifully on DVD (and which only during the curtain calls does one notice the movie screen at the rear, meaning the in- house audience got the same effect). Particularly, the violent ripping off of the sisters' facial veils by the Revolution Council officers, and the March to the Scaffold.

The final scene is simply staged, the nuns - all now in tattered white with self-decorated black grease chalked crosses each marked herself with as they were condemned to death, holding each other together in a huddle, hands and arms draping themselves almost as a single organism before simply lining up for the guillotine, each collapsing at her moment of death until Blanche's turn, whereupon she walks amongst the corpses of her fallen sisters, fearless and serene.

Film director, Don Kent, in (apparently) his first televised opera production does not have a single faux pas - capturing every moment for maximum impact. His ability to captures the myriad - almost never ending - dance of shadows and light, minimizing the use of the facial close-up too prevalent in opera videocasts these days, all revealing someone with a genuine gift. (Kent has since gone to be video director for some truly wonderful operatic DVD experiences: Platee, Lucia, Onegin, Traviata, Ariadne, and more).

Conductor, Jan Latham-Koenig "feels" this score to his bones and the results show in his work with the chorus and orchestra of the Opera National du Rhin forces.

a moving opera, excellent performance
This production of Poulenc's inspired opera comes with few frills. The production is spare and dependent on light and the mood the singers can create. It adds up to an exceptionally moving performance, one that is very sensitive to the rarified atmosphere that makes this opera such a unique experience. The singing is uniformally good and the acting under the direction of Keller is insightful. The big moments like the death of the old prioress and the monologue of her replacement are inspired, as is the handling of that final wrenching scene. The latter is not done literally but is in keeping with the more interior mood that is sustained throughout. If you have any interest in this work, seeing this dvd is a must.

This is the one to have
Unlike some reviewers, I have found no fault with the technical aspects of this recording. It is in stereo only, but despite this the sound is first rate.

I have written at length praising this production as distinct from the TDK production from La Scala. Here is a copy of my review of that production:

" Get the Arthaus production, September 30, 2007
By Archie (Ottawa ON Canada) - See all my reviews
I usually tend to agree with Scott Morrison's reviews. However, this time I only partially agree with him. Yes, "Dialogues of the Carmelites is one of the greatest Twentieth Century operas. Yes the minimalist set is stunningly effective, as is the lighting and the choreography of the nuns. And yes, it is a very good production on stage; although I do hate it when there is a scene change and suddenly from the relatively dim lighting on stage one gets a bright full shot of the orchestra and then a close-up on Mr. Muti. This is jarring and grossly interferes with the atmosphere and momentum of the piece.

But Dr. Morrison must not have seen the other DVD of "Dialogues" by Opera national du Rhin (1999) on Arthaus. I suspect that were he to have done so, he would have held back the superlatives on the Scala production because there would be nothing left to use to praise the other, which in my opinion is so much better. I do not want to detract too much from this production, because it is very good and one should experience it. But if you are to have only one, I would strongly recommend that you get the Arthaus production.

Dr. Morrison has written at length about the TDK production, so I will briefly make a few points about the Arthaus one. The set and the costumes are equally minimalist, stark and extremely effective. The final scene which Dr. Morrison has praised is done better here, (and was done first); and the lead up to it in the prior scenes is much more emotionally telling. This feels like a much more intimate production with the singers and the orchestra very well balanced. The singing and acting are wonderful. There is a much better flow and momentum to the piece, and this is greatly enhanced by the camera work. Normally I do not particularly like too many close-ups (and have been severely critical of Don Kent for his editing of Lucie de Lammermoor on TDK), but here it feels right and appropriate, and it greatly enhances the psychological and moral issues which are so central to this opera.

In my opinion, the Opera national du Rhin production, directed by Marthe Keller and conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig is the one to have and to experience again and again.

[I have not seen the Kultur production, because reading the reviews it appears that they have yet again come up with a sub standard recording (no subtitles, no liner notes) of what probably was a good production. As I have written in reviews of very disappointing Kultur recordings where they sabotage a good production with a bare minimum (if even that) DVD, it would be a blessing if they would go bankrupt.]"

Very moving performance, effectively adapted to video
I was given this DVD by someone who knows I'm a Carmelite-ophile (see my review of the Chandos CD Poulenc: The Carmelites). As is often the case, the stage production yielding this video succeeds by being visually minimalistic. Better yet, director Marthe Keller -- yes, the elegant European actress who's been working steadily for four decades now -- gives us something way better to look at than scenery: Opera singers who really act! For brevity I'll only cite two scenes, Madame Lidoine's (the New Prioress's) speeches in Acts II and III. In the earlier one, the nuns appear to listen very intently, quite in contrast to some productions where they appear to be marking time until the serene Ave Maria chorus. During the latter monologue, the nuns not only take their Mother Superior's words to heart, but also devise a simple but striking final act of defiance against their anti-clerical persecutors.

Anne Sophie Schmidt is superb as the protagonist Blanche, not surprising since her other Poulenc opera video, La Voix Humaine (on Kultur), shows her to have a deep understanding of this composer. There are several other fine performances here, but the real "It" Girl in this show is Patricia Petibon. Her interpretation of the young Sister Constance is right on the money, and the camera truly loves her. Daringly, Keller asks her and the other 14 members of the nuns' chorus to take the stage alone for the opera's brutal finale -- and to stay there! I won't reveal how they represent dying onstage, except to say that it's resourcefully foreshadowed by the Old Prioress's final facial expression in her Act I death scene. Finally, special mention for adapting Keller's stage direction for DVD goes to Don Kent, for whom www.IMDb.com asserts that this was a first major TV adaptation of an opera performance. I see that over the years he's been engaged to do several more, which comes as no surprise after seeing this impeccable video.

a great performance in very mediocre sound
I read the existing reviews after viewing this DVD on a first class audio-visual system. Firstly, what we have here is a magnificent performance of the opera. All parts are well sung and well acted and, much to the point, the singers look their parts. Secondly, the staging is quite good as is the video direction. One is brought into the action. The sound, however, was a problem. On many newer DVDs I have found audio equal or better than the best CDs. The sound on this DVD was not in this league. All was recorded at a rather high level and tended to distort if played at a normal level. The singers seemed much to the front of the orchestra and, thus, some orchestral details were slighted. I wonder whether the sound was compressed. This is not, then, a DVD I would listen to without video, and even watching this DVD the sound quality reduces the impact of the whole.

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