Dialogues des carmélites in Ghent and Antwerp

[pjme]

I went to Ghent Opera yesterday evening, for a performance of Poulenc's "Dialogues des Carmélites".




BLANCHE
Olga Pasichnyk 
LE MARQUIS DE LA FORCE
Christian Tréguier 
LE CHEVALIER DE LA FORCE
Martial Defontaine 
SOEUR CONSTANCE
Hendrickje Van Kerckhove 
MADAME DE CROISSY
Nadine Denize 
MADAMA LIDOINE
Lyne Fortin 
MÈRE MARIE DE L'INCARNATION
Annie Vavrille 
MÈRE JEANNE DE L'ENFANT JÉSUS
Mireille Capelle 
SOEUR MATHILDE
Julie Bailly 
L'AUMONIER DU CARMEL
Guy De Mey 
GEÔLIER
Jean Bermes 
PREMIER COMMISSAIRE
Eric Raes 
SYMFONISCH ORKEST EN KOOR VAN DE VLAAMSE OPERA 
CONDUCTOR
Jean-Claude Casadesus 
DIRECTOR
Robert Carsen 
CONDUCTOR
Nicolas Krüger 
SETS
Michael Levine 
COSTUMES
Falk Bauer 
LIGHTING
Jean Kalman 
CHOREOGRAPHY
Philippe Giraudeau 
CHOIR MASTER
Kurt Bikkembergs 


It turned out to be most impressive . Robert Carsen's direction was absolutely wonderful. ( It is justly famous and has traveled already from Amsterdam to Milan and Vienna - possibly in the US as well)
Only a dark grey box :  a few (18th century) props, the colours of the costumes ( from bright red to the dullest grey, black & white),  v effective,subtle lighting ( shadows!), the menacing presence of a large mob ( anonymous, grey).
A very discreet, but "strict" choreography ( movements of large groups, the appearance/disappearance of main characters, the death of the nuns) added greatly to this stark, but very powerful design.

Poulenc's music is at times (oddly) lighthearted for such terrible events- but in all,  the drama unfolds inexorably to the shattering end!
( loud and terrifying electronic guillotine thwacks)
Jean Claude Casadesus had everything well under control - I can imagine that more subtlety can be achieved. No singers with really exceptional voices - but a strong and coherent cast. Olga Pasichnyk is a great Blanche though - she's small and frail - the voice hardens in loud passages. Nadine Denize ( the old prioress) clearly enjoyed this great role ( she dies, tortured by doubts, at the end of act 1!). But she has no longer a real "singing" voice ( many recordings in the 1980-1990 ies)...even so, a real "tragédienne"!
Hendrickje van Kerckhove is a very promissing Belgian soprano and Guy De Mey was  excellent ( the priest.)

A great evening.Peter

ps: The Flemish Opera performs in two houses - Ghent and Antwerp. see ( also in English) :http://www.vlaamseopera.be/default.orb

[bhodges]

It turned out to be most impressive . Robert Carsen's direction was absolutely wonderful. ( It is justly famous and has traveled already from Amsterdam to Milan and Vienna - possibly in the US as well)
Only a dark grey box :  a few (18th century) props, the colours of the costumes ( from bright red to the dullest grey, black & white),  v effective,subtle lighting ( shadows!), the menacing presence of a large mob ( anonymous, grey).
A very discreet, but "strict" choreography ( movements of large groups, the appearance/disappearance of main characters, the death of the nuns) added greatly to this stark, but very powerful design.

Wow, does this sound exciting!  I'm beginning to get a handle on Carsen's style, since this sounds similar in some ways to his Eugene Onegin here (revived last year): spare, high-ceilinged stage; a few older props, such as 18th-century chairs; discreet lighting in pastel colors; and a tendency to use people in a group (e.g., the ballroom scene in which the guests are sort of contained within a box).  He's marvelous. 

I've only seen the Met's production of Dialogues, by John Dexter, in which a huge cross serving as the floor dominates the stage.  It is also quite stark.  (But then, so is the opera.) 

Thanks for that report. 

--Bruce

[pjme]

Carsen has worked many times with the Flemish Opera ( a superb Puccini cycle, deeply moving Janacek!) .
He knows how to strenghten the inner drama ( "Dialogues" isn't silly...18th century martyrs!The nuns give their lives for god).Visualy it is gripping and beautiful, the acting convincing.

Next week Boulez is in Brussels.....(let's see if some money is left....)


Peter

[bhodges]

All I can say is that you are very lucky to have experienced so much of his work!  I agree with your comment about strengthening the inner drama, which is exactly what he did with that Tchaikovsky.  The way he coached Hvorostovsky and Fleming in the final scene was really memorable.

Well, I hope this Poulenc comes here. 

--Bruce

[Wendell_E]

It turned out to be most impressive . Robert Carsen's direction was absolutely wonderful. ( It is justly famous and has traveled already from Amsterdam to Milan and Vienna - possibly in the US as well)

Yes, it's been to the U.S.  I saw it at Lyric Opera of Chicago about a year ago, and absolutely hated it.  I thought the last scene, with the nuns' stylized movements (looking a lot like tai chi), robbed it of its emotional impact.  It was the only time I'd ever seen (or heard) that scene totally dry-eyed.  Even before that scene, there were plenty of things that bothered me, right from the beginning, with a crowd surrounding the de la Force family.  Yeah, I "got" it, but thought it was awfully heavy-handed.   But mine was definitely a minority opinion.  BTW, I usually like Carsen's work:  I have (and love) the Onegin and Midsummer Night's Dream on DVD, and also enjoyed his Contes d'Hoffmann from Paris.  I was expecting to love his Carmélites, as well.

The production's available on DVD, from La Scala, with Muti conducting and Silja as Mme. de Croissy.

[pjme]

Hi Wendell, well, we have different opinions! That's OK.
At least , I think, we agree that Carsen is a very capable director.
Let's see what his next production brings.

Peter