FRANCIS POULENC (1899-1963)

The Carmelites

144:15

Opera in three acts

Libretto by the composer after Georges Bernanos' play Dialogue des Carmélites, revised English version by Joseph Machlis

Act I

Scene 1

1

'Where is Blanche?'

7:23

Chevalier de la Force, Marquis de la Force

2

'Blanche, your poor brother was so very impatient'

3:31

Marquis, Blanche de la Force, Chevalier

3

'Her poor imagination always flies from one extreme to another'

1:43

Marquis, Chevalier, Blanche, Thierry

4

'Dear father, there is no incident so small or unimportant'

4:05

Blanche, Marquis

Scene 2

5

Prelude

1:42

6

'Do not believe this comfortable chair is a privilege'

3:08

7

'What has driven you here?'

1:31

8

'My daughter, the outside world often questions'

5:36

Madame de Croissy (Prioress), Blanche

Scene 3

9

Prelude

2:37

10

'Oh no, not more beans!'

7:09

Constance, Blanche

Scene 4

11

Prelude

2:11

12

'Would you be so kind as to raise my pillow'

8:22

Prioress, Mother Marie

13

'You may get up my child'

5:09

Prioress, Blanche, Monsieur Javelinot

14

'Monsieur Javelinot, you must know it's customary'

3:42

Prioress, Mother Marie

15

'Please inform your sisters'

3:08

Mother Marie, Prioress, Blanche

Act II

Scene 1

16

'Qui Lazarum resuscutasti a monumento foetidum'

2:20

Constance, Blanche

17

'What are you doing?'

2:52

Mother Marie, Blanche

Interlude

18

'Dear Sister, I'm afraid that our cross'

3:55

Constance, Blanche

Scene 2

19

'My dear daughters, I don't need to remind you'

5:41

Madame Lidoine (the new Prioress), Mother Marie

20

'Ave Maria'

1:45

Mother Marie, Carmelites, Prioress

Interlude

21

'What is going on?'

2:09

Prioress, Constance, Mother Marie

Scene 3

22

Prelude

1:45

23

'Blanche, why do you believe like this?'

7:22

Chevalier, Blanche

24

'Compose yourself, Sister Blanche'

1:50

Mother Marie, Blanche

Scene 4

25

'My faithful daughters, I know that some among you'

3:28

Chaplain, Carmelites

26

'But what will become of you?'

2:51

Blanche, Chaplain, Constance, Sister Mathilde, Prioress, Mother Marie

27

'Someone is ringing the bell'

1:09

Constance, Sister Mathilde, Crowd, Chaplain, Carmelites

28

'Open the door, open the door now!'

4:09

Voice, Mother Marie, First Commissioner, Second Commissioner

29

'My sisters, our Reverend Mother is coming'

1:54

Mother Jeanne, Blanche, Mother Marie, Crowd

Act III

Scene 1

30

'Father, speak to them'

4:22

Mother Marie, Chaplain, Mother Jeanne, Sister Mathilde

31

'There is only one vote against. That is enough'

3:13

Mother Marie, Sister Mathilde, Constance

Interlude

32

'Fellow citizens, we congratulate you'

2:22

Officer

33

'Sister Gerald, we have to warn the priest'

1:46

Prioress, Mother Marie

Scene 2

34

Prelude

1:53

35

'It's you!'

5:31

Blanche, Mother Marie, Woman's Voice

Scene 3

36

'My daughters, we have almost come to the end'

4:09

Prioress, Mother Jeanne

37

'And what of Sister Blanche?'

0:36

Constance, Prioress, Sister Mathilde

38

''The Tribunal of the Revolution declares''

2:27

Gaoler

39

'May daughters, I wanted to save you'

2:07

Prioress

Interlude

40

'It is done. They have been condemned'

1:56

Chaplain, Mother Marie

Scene 4

41

Prelude

2:41

42

'Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae'

6:45

Prioress, Mother Jeanne, Sister Mathilde, Constance, Carmelites, Blanche

Ashley Holland baritone - Marquis de la Force

Catrin Wyn-Davies soprano - Blanche de la Force

Peter Wedd tenor - Chevalier de la Force

Gary Coward baritone - Thierry

Natalie Herman soprano - Off-stage voice

Felicity Palmer mezzo-soprano - Madame de Croissy

Dame Josephine Barstow soprano - Mother Marie

Orla Boylan soprano - Madame Lidoine

Sarah Tynan soprano - Sister Constance

Jane Powell mezzo-soprano - Mother Jeanne

Anne Marie Gibbons mezzo-soprano - Sister Mathilde

Ryland Davies tenor - The Chaplain

William Berger baritone - Monsieur Javelinot

James Edwards tenor - First Commissioner

Roland Wood baritone - Second Commissioner

Toby Stafford-Allen baritone - First Officer

David Stephenson baritone - Gaoler

Paul Daniel

20-26 October 2005