From History to Opera: Discovering Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites
The opera Dialogues of the Carmelites by Francis Poulenc is inspired by a text by Georges Bernanos, itself based on the novel The Last on the Scaffold by Gertrud von Le Fort. At the heart of this work is the story of the Carmelites of Compiègne, sixteen nuns executed during the French Revolution. Forced to leave their convent during the Reign of Terror, the Carmelites discreetly continue their religious life with the support of families in the region. In the context of the dechristianization campaign launched in the fall of 1793, they were arrested in June 1794, transferred to Paris, tried by the Revolutionary Tribunal, and sentenced to death on July 17 of the same year. This meeting, proposed by the Quebec Opera Festival, will explore the fate of these nuns and provide a better understanding of the transformations experienced by religious communities during the revolutionary era, between dispersion, exile, and recomposition. It will also allow us to discover how Francis Poulenc transposed this story into one of the most significant French operas of the 20th century, while echoing the history of the Monastery of the Augustines. Speakers: • Anthony J. Steinhoff, Professor of European and Religious History at the Université du Québec à Montréal • Irène Brisson, Musicologist and retired professor from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec • Host: Catherine Ferland, Ph.D., Historian
Conference · Talk
Free