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Last performed at Juilliard in 2001, Dialogues of the Carmelites is a work gaining currency as one of the masterpieces of the 20th-century repertoire; relatively conservative in its harmonic language and endowed with a constant flow of melody, the opera provides a powerful examination of faith during the French revolution. The production will be fully staged, and sung in French with English supertitles. Set design is by Donald Eastman with costumes by Andrea Hood and lighting by Jane Cox.
Based on Gertrud von Le Fort's novella Die Letzte am Schafott (The Last on the Scaffold), the opera is set during the French Revolution and tells the story of Blanche de la Force, a member of the Carmelite convent in Compigne, France. Surrounded by war, Blanche joined the convent as a means to escape the violence. Yet when the Revolution's reign of terror threatens to destroy the order itself, she is forced to make decisions which will change not only her life, but the lives of other convent members around her. The opera was first performed in Italian at La Scala in January 1957, and the original French version followed in June 1957 at the Op_ra National de Paris.
The cast of the production includes many notable talents from the Juilliard Vocal Arts program: soprano Tharanga Goonetilleke will take on the lead role of Blanche de la Force; Emalie Savoy, who will appear in the title role of Ariadne auf Naxos at Tanglewood Festival this summer with James Levine, is singing Madame Lidoine; South Korean soprano Haeran Hong, a finalist in the (much discussed and highly competitive) 2010 National Council Auditions, will sing Sister Constance; 2009 National Council Auditions winner Paul Appleby, scheduled to sing at the Met next season as Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos, performs as Chevalier de la Force; and mezzo-soprano Ren_e Tatum, making her Met debut next season as Inez in Il Trovatore plays Mother Marie of the Incarnation.
PROGRAM
April 23, 2010, 8:00 pm; April 25, 2010, 2:00 pm
The Peter Jay Sharp Theater
Juilliard Opera Center Presents
DIALOGUES DES CARMê_LITES
Music by Francis Poulenc, Libretto by Georges Bernanos
Anne Manson, conductor
Fabrizio Melano, director
Juilliard Orchestra
Juilliard Opera Center Chorus
TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets are $20. Visit the Juilliard Box Office on the plaza level at The Juilliard School, (Broadway at 65th Street) or call CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500. Half price tickets for students and seniors are available at the box office only.
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Juilliard Opera Center
One of America's most prestigious programs for educating singers, The Juilliard School's Department of Vocal Arts offers young artists programs tailored to their talents and needs. From bachelor and master of music degrees to advanced artist diploma programs in voice and opera studies, Juilliard provides frequent performance opportunities, featuring singers in its own recital halls, on Lincoln Center's stages, and around New York City. Juilliard Opera has presented numerous premieres of new operas as well as works from the standard repertoire.
Juilliard graduates may be heard in opera houses and concert halls throughout the world; diverse alumni artists include well-known performers such as John Aler, Sasha Cooke, Faith Esham, Simon Estes, Ren_e Fleming, Anthony Dean Griffey, Barbara Hendricks, Hei-Kyung Hong, Gwendolyn Killebrew, Michael Maniaci, Susanne Mentzer, Leona Mitchell, Leontyne Price, Florence Quivar, Neil Rosenshein, RisêŠ Stevens, Tatiana Troyanos, Shirley Verrett, Veronica Villarroel, and Robert White, among others.
