Dialogues des Carmélites

One of the undisputed operatic masterpieces of the 20th century, Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites tells the real-life story of a community of Carmelite nuns who chose to face the guillotine rather than renounce their vows during the French Revolution. The story centers on a fearful yet pious novice, Blanche de la Force, who initially joins the order to seek solace from the outside world but ultimately finds herself swept up in the horrors of the Reign of Terror. In this radio broadcast, Maestro Bertrand de Billy leads an extraordinary ensemble, headlined by soprano Ailyn Pérez as Blanche. The cast also features sopranos Christine Goerke and Sabine Devieilhe and mezzo-sopranos Jamie Barton and Alice Coote as some of her fellow sisters, tenor Piotr Buszewski as the Chevalier de la Force, and bass-baritone Laurent Naouri as the Marquis de la Force.