UNL Opera will present four performances of Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmelites.”
Performances are Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. in Howell Theatre, located on the first floor of the Temple Building at 12th and R streets in Lincoln.
Tickets are $20 regular and $10 seniors/students and are available online at https://nebraskarep.org/unlopera.
Experience Poulenc’s stark and revelatory drama about the young Blanche de la Force’s pursuit of refuge in her faith as she struggles to tame her overwrought fears of the world. Based on actual events, this profound opera recounts the story of a group of Carmelite nuns caught in the maelstrom of the French Revolution.
“At its core, ‘Dialogues of the Carmelites’ is about 1) the value of one’s character, 2) the power of one’s faith, and 3) the mystery of the miraculous,” said director William Shomos the Richard H. Larson Distinguished Professor of Music (Voice) and Director of Opera. “In matters of character, the Prioress charges her sister nuns to embrace ‘those modest virtues that the rich and the powerful look upon with such contempt: good will to every person, humble patience, and a spirit of reconciliation.’ The power of faith is revealed in the willingness of 16 nuns to martyr themselves to end the bloodshed of the Reign of Terror (one can argue that it worked—the Terror ended a week after their martyrdom). The mystery of the miraculous is manifested in the otherwise inexplicable transformation from fear into courage experienced by Blanche de la Force, the protagonist of the opera.”
Glenn Korff School of Music piano accompanist Michael Cotton is serving as the musical director for the opera and completed a new English translation of the opera’s vocal and piano arrangement.
“I am so grateful to have Michael Cotton as our musical director for this production. I can’t imagine having done this without his beautiful and articulate adaptation of the text; his magnificent and emotionally compelling musical leadership from the piano; and his insightful spirit that continually leads us all to a deeper understanding of this very great work,” Shomos said.
Cotton said the music in Poulenc’s opera is unique.
“It’s beautiful. It’s powerful. Poulenc is an interesting composer because he didn’t really see a big divide between the sacred and the secular,” he said. “There are passages in the opera that sound very much like a monastery or a cathedral. There are other passages that sound very much like a cabaret or a nightclub. There are other passages that sound like French folk song. He just takes very diverse, stylistic elements and filters them all through his own imagination, and it’s a very unique result.”
Cotton said students are doing well with the difficult music.
“It’s not easy music,” he said. “Once you get it in your ear, it all makes sense. But initially, it can take some very unexpected turns of harmony and melody. They’re doing very, very well with it.”
The opera is sung in English with supertitles, but that was also Poulenc’s original intent, Cotton said.
“He wrote it in French, obviously, but he wanted it performed in the language of whatever country it was being performed in,” he said. “So it premiered at La Scala in Italian before it was done in Paris in French. And then when it went to London, it was done in English. So doing it in English is not a concession to any kind of linguistic weakness on anyone’s part. It is what Poulenc wanted. It makes it much easier, obviously, for the students to connect with what’s happening, and I think it will make it much easier for the audience to get involved.”
Cotton hopes audiences will be moved by the opera.
“At first glance, it looks like a very tragic opera,” he said. “But really whether you believe in the grace of God or just the innate nobility of the human spirit, it’s a testament to the triumph of that over these really dehumanizing, awful circumstances. It’s the triumph of courage over fear. Emotionally, it’s very, very powerful, but it’s also very thought-provoking in a lot of ways.”
Sylvia O’Neill, a master of music student from Huron, South Dakota, plays Blanche de la Force at the Oct. 27 and Nov. 1 performances.
“Blanche de la Force is a deeply introspective and sensitive character in Poulenc’s opera,” she said. “Throughout the opera, she is torn between her fears and a yearning for faith. She struggles with her identity and the concept of martyrdom as she faces the impending execution of her fellow nuns during the French Revolution. Her journey reflects themes of courage, sacrifice and wrestling with personal belief amidst turmoil.”
She appreciates the opportunity to play the character.
“As a woman of faith, I have faced and will continue to navigate moments of doubt and fear, much like Blanche,” O’Neill said. “Her journey toward courage and conviction resonates deeply with me, inspiring me to reflect on the complexities of my belief in God and reminds me of the strength found in vulnerability.”
Sofia Dominguez, a music education junior from Grand Island, Nebraska, plays Madame de Croissy, First Prioress in the Oct. 29 and Nov. 3 productions.
“Madame de Croissy is the head of the Carmelite nuns,” she said. “Even in her old age, she is stubborn, confident and harsh but holds a great affinity for her daughters.”
Tanner Engeseth, a master of music student from Deforest, Wisconsin, plays Marquis de la Force.
“Marquis is the father of the main character, Blanche de la Force,” he said. “He is distant in his relationship with Blanche and struggles to understand her fear about the events of the revolution.”
Molly Wanless, a master of music student from Milton, Wisconsin, plays Sister Constance of St. Denis at the Oct. 27 and Nov. 1 performances.
“Sister Constance of St. Denis is a young novice of the Carmelites,” she said. “Though she’s one of the most recent converted nuns, she is extremely faithful, honest and passionate about her faith. Sister Constance speaks freely about visions of the future and her acceptance of death.”
Evangeline Mason, a senior vocal performance and French double major from Papillion, Nebraska, is playing Sister Constance of St. Denis at the Oct. 29 and Nov. 3 performances. She said the opera is challenging, but very rewarding.
“’Dialogues’ does not include many of the traditional components of opera. It does not have arias or duets,” she said. “Except for the final scene and a few other choruses throughout, this opera is made of recitatives strung together. There are many crunchy chords. It grows in intensity, keeping the audience anxious.”
Mason said audiences should expect to think throughout the performance.
“It is not easy to take in at times, due to the heavy message,” she said. “There are themes of sacrifice, death, fear and religious freedom and identity. If you wear makeup, put on your waterproof mascara.”
Dominguez said the music in this opera is “breathtaking.”
“Poulenc wrote so much depth and texture into the music, that the lines effortlessly flow from one another,” she said. “On paper the music is difficult. I know it took me a few days to really understand it. But hearing it sung by the amazing people in our casts, you wouldn’t think it was. It’s so beautifully written.”
Wanless said “Dialogues” is different than any other work she has sung before.
“Poulenc’s tonality is regularly shifting, presenting challenges for the vocalists,” she said. “However, the tonal ambiguity brings flexibility to the dramatic shifts and attention to the text we don’t always see in opera.”
Dylan Anderson, a senior music education major from Wayne, Nebraska, plays The Chevalier, who is Blanche’s brother. He said the music in the opera was very challenging to learn.
“Poulenc changes intervals constantly, and there is not really a pitch center most of the time,” he said.
Engeseth said the music comes with specific challenges for his character of Marquis.
“Poulenc uses interesting textures of accompaniment and sometimes lacks a tonal center within specific phrases of Marquis,” he said. “The recitative style of singing is also something that was very foreign to me prior to this production.”
Shomos said the music is “very Poulenc.”
“He continually goes back and forth between an almost austere soundscape of sacred piety and a music that is ravishingly sensuous and lush,” Shomos said. “In this way, we are always aware, even if subliminally, of the conflict, balance and integration of the human and the divine.”
O’Neill said, “The music features hauntingly beautiful and lyrical melodies that enhance the overall narrative of the story. It features elements of impressionism and modernism, typical of Poulenc’s composition style, which makes it challenging to learn and to sing.”
The opera promises a captivating visual experience.
“We will use realistic costuming played on an abstract scene-scape with minimal set pieces, all supported by evocative projections and lighting,” Shomos said. “Audiences should expect a very intimate experience in Howell Theatre that enwraps the audience into the story.”
Engeseth said, “I love working with our creative team and my fellow performers on really bringing these interesting and complicated characters to life. Understanding the time period, their socioeconomic status and the finer details that aren’t on the sheet music challenge us and push us to grow as performers.”
“Dialogues” will be presented in Howell Theatre while Kimball Recital Hall continues to be renovated.
“UNL Opera has done a lot of touring throughout Nebraska these past few years, so we’re accustomed to adapting to different spaces,” Shomos said. “My goal is always to embrace the space, never fight against it. I think this production is working magnificently in Howell.”
Wanless said she loves this show.
“It has been a challenging and rewarding experience,” she said. “I look forward to sharing the story with audiences.”
Dominguez said the cast and crew have been working hard to make this a wonderful opera.
“I really hope that many are able to see the dedication we have when they come to watch,” she said.
Cotton hopes audiences will catch one of the four performances of the opera.
“There should be plenty of opportunities for everyone to catch at least one of the performances,” he said. “Because it really is one of the few operas from the last century that really has found a very firm place in the repertoire. Everyone recognized this is really a special work. It’s very well worth seeing.”