Semperoper receives a lot of praise for "Carmelites"

Faith dies last: With its new production of the opera "Dialogues des Carmélites" ("Conversations of the Carmelites") by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963), the Semperoper Dresden gives the audience plenty of reason to suffer and at the same time encourages reflection on central questions in human life.

The premiere on Saturday evening was met with undivided approval. Alongside the soloists - above all Marjukka Tepponen (Blanche), Rosalia Cid (Constance) and Evelyn Herlitzius as the seriously ill prioress of the monastery - the ladies of the opera chorus and the Sächsische Staatskapelle were also loudly celebrated. The production was directed by Dutchwoman Jetske Mijnssen and musically conducted by Frenchwoman Marie Jacquot.

Opera based on an authentic story

The opera is based on a true story - the tragic fate of the 16 Carmelite nuns of Compiégne. They were executed during the French Revolution in 1794 and are reported to have ascended the scaffold singing. Gertrud von Le Fort recorded the tragedy in her novella "The Last on the Scaffold". The story was also made into a film in 1960 under the title "Opfergang einer Nonne", starring Jeanne Moreau among others.

In 1957, Poulenc's opera was premiered at La Scala in Milan - in Italian. The Dresden production comes from the Zurich Opera House and is based on the French original. It tells the story through the eyes of the nun Blanche, a character invented by the author Le Fort.

Abbbess of St. Marienthal Monastery as a guest

The abbess of St. Marienthal Monastery in Ostritz, Petra Articus, also attended the premiere. She had been interviewed about the play in the Saxon State Opera magazine and reported on her encounters in the monastery. "You can't run away from your fears. I meet many people who come to us seeking safety, healing or comfort. Some experience God, others are disappointed that the relationship with God is not necessarily noticeably intensified in the monastery," she was quoted as saying.