LYRIC OPERA HITS RIGHT NOTE WITH ‘CARMELITES’
By Bill Gowen

Chicago Daily Herald, IL
Feb 18 2007

Lyric Opera of Chicago opened its 2006-07 season with Giacomo Puccini’s
"Turandot," in which the Chinese ice princess orders the execution
of any would-be suitor who fails to answer her three riddles.

Now, the Lyric wraps up the season with another opera with executions
at its core: Francis Poulenc’s "Dialogues of the Carmelites," which
opened its nine-performance run Saturday.

But how different they are!

Premiered 50 years ago at La Scala in Milan, Italy, "Carmelites"
is one of the true masterworks of 20th century opera. It transports
us back to the 1790s, the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution,
and tells the mostly-true story of the martyrdom of 16 nuns at the
monastery of Compiegne, France. While at first glance the subject seems
unremittingly grim, this is a tale of faith in God and a redemption
of the spirit.

The story centers around Blanche, daughter of the Marquis de la Force,
whose escape from a revolutionary panic in the streets makes her
fear for her safety. This leads to Blanche eventually seeking what
she feels is protection of Sisterhood. But once she recites her vows
and joins the order, she soon finds that the safety of the cloister
from the revolution is but a rumor. Eventually, the sisters secretly
vote for martyrdom.

Canadian-Armenian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian portrays Blanche as a
fragile daughter of the revolution who grows in spiritual stature
as the opera progresses. As Bayrakdarian describes in her program
biography: "This character is in all of us. I’m talking about her
humanity, not only her fear."

In the opera’s final scene, when the nuns are led to the guillotine
(collapsing, one by one, as they sing the strains of the Latin hymn
Salve Regina), Bayrakdarian describes Blanche as "… the only one
who’s glorifying God, as if she’s going to a wedding instead of
her death."

By the way, as traditional with stagings of this opera, the executions
are implied rather than shown, although the repeating scythe-like
"swish" of the falling guillotine blade (as heard from the orchestra)
is a chilling sound effect.

In Robert Carsen’s minimalist production from Netherlands Opera, staged
here by Didier Kersten (Lyric Opera debut), Blanche remains standing
at the final curtain, bathed in a warm glow, arms outstretched
cruciform-style, as the bodies of the other sisters lie strewn
about. Instead of the Salve Regina, she intones the ancient Latin
hymn Veni, creator spiritus ("Come, creator spirit"), although the
words are cut off in mid-sentence, symbolizing her own execution.

Bayrakdarian heads an all-star cast that excels in every role,
large and small. Meriting particular praise is English mezzo-soprano
Felicity Palmer as Madame de Croissy (the first Prioress), whose
agonizing Act 1 death scene (from natural causes) is a tour de force.

Palmer is regarded as the finest living interpreter of this role,
having performed it at the Metropolitan Opera, along with Geneva and
Zurich in Switzerland, the English National Opera and at La Scala,
where "Carmelites" first saw the light of day a half century ago.

Sister Constance, a key moral center of the opera, is portrayed
with great sensitivity by American soprano Anna Christy, while the
challenging role of Madame Lidoine (the second Prioress) is taken
by American soprano Patricia Racette who, incidentally, portrayed
Blanche in the most recent Metropolitan Opera production.

One of the opera’s great scenes takes place in Act 2, when Madame
Lidoine is joined by Mother Marie (English mezzo-soprano Jane Irwin)
in leading the sisters in Poulenc’s plaintive version of the Latin
Ave Maria.

In Saturday’s opening performance, American mezzo-soprano Elizabeth
DeShong took over for the ill Meredith Arwady in the role of Mother
Jeanne.

Sir Andrew Davis, conducting this opera concurrently with Mozart’s
"Cosi fan tutte," shows complete mastery of Poulenc’s score (12 scenes
in three acts), and the solid contribution by the chorus is a fitting
tribute to the Lyric’s longtime chorus master, Donald Palumbo, who
is moving on to the Metropolitan Opera following this season.

Poulenc’s music is firmly rooted in mid-20th century romanticism,
with hints of Prokofiev, Debussy and other familiar composers.

However, this gorgeous score is by no means derivative.

One hour prior to each performance, Lyric Opera dramaturg Roger
Pines offers a 25-minute lecture on "Dialogues of the Carmelites,"
including the opera’s relationship to actual historic events, along
with a critical analysis of Poulenc’s landmark work. The lecture is
free to all ticket-holders, with seating on the main floor of the
Ardis Krainik Theatre.

Also, Tuesday night’s performance will be broadcast live by WFMT
98.7-FM.

"Dialogues of the Carmelites"Where: Ardis Krainik Theatre, Civic
Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive.When: Additional performances at 7:30
p.m. Tuesday, Friday, Feb. 26; March 2, 5, 9, 14 and 17.Tickets: Call
(312) 332-2244, Ext. 5600, or visit lyricopera.org, for availability
and reservations; major credit cards accepted.At a glance:Opera
in three acts by Francis Poulenc. With libretto by the composer,
adapted >>From drama of the same title by George Bernardos. Original
production by Robert Carsen; stage director, Didier Kersten. Lyric
Opera of Chicago Orchestra and chorus, conducted by Sir. Andrew
Davis.Starring:Isabel Bayrakdarian as Blanche de la ForceFelicity
Palmer as Madame de CroissyDale Travis as Marquis de la ForceJoseph
Kaiser as Chevalier de la ForcePatricia Racette as Madame LidoineAnna
Christy as Sister ConstanceJane Irwin as Mother MarieDennis Petersen
as ChaplainWith Kenneth Nichols, Brandon Mayberry, Eugenie Grunewald,
Bryan Griffin, Phillip Dothard, Elizabeth DeShong, Darren Stokes,
Martha Kasten and Jordan Shanahan.