Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites / D. Duval · Crespin · Scharley · Berton · Gorr · Depraz · Ninel · Fourrier · Desmoutiers · Opéra de Paris · Dervaux

Francis Poulenc (Artist), Pierre Dervaux (Artist), Denise Duval (Artist), Régine Crespin (Artist), Choeur et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris (Artist), Liliane Berton (Artist), Paul Finel (Artist), Rita Gorr (Artist), Xavier Depraz, Janine Fourrier Denise Scharley (Artist), Louis Rialland, René Bianco, Jacques Mars Gisèle Desmoutiers (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 2, 2001)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B00002062O
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,518 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #91 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Languages > French

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Act One, Scene One: Ou Est Blanche? - Xavier Depraz/Paul Finel

2. Act One, Scene One: Les Soldats Survennent A Temps Pour Degager Le Carrosse - Xavier Depraz/Paul Finel

3. Act One, Scene One: Blanche, Votre Frere Avait Grand'Hate De Vous Revoir - Paul Finel/Denise Duval/Xavier Depraz

4. Act One, Scene One: Son Imagination Va Toujours D'un Extreme A L'autre - Paul Finel/Xavier Depraz/Michel Forel

5. Act One, Scene One: Je Vois Qu'il N'y A Heureusement Rien De Grave - Paul Finel/Denise Duval

6. Act One, Scene One: Mon Enfant Cherie - Paul Finel/Denise Duval

7. Act One, Scene One: Interlude - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux

8. Act One, Scene Two: N'allez Pas Croire Que Ce Fauteuil Soit Un Privilege - Denise Scharley/Denise Duval

9. Act One, Scene Two: Je Vois Que Les Severites De Notre Regle - Denise Scharley/Denise Duval

10. Act One, Scene Two: Ma Fille, Les Bonnes Gens Se Demandent - Denise Scharley/Denise Duval

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Act Two, Scene Two: Que Se Passe-t-il? - Denise Scharley/Liliane Berton/Rita Gorr

2. Act Two, Scene Three: Prelude - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux

3. Act Two, Scene Three: Pourquoi Vous Tenez-vous Ainsi Depuis Vingt Minutes - Paul Finel/Denise Duval

4. Act Two, Scene Three: Dans Des Temps Comme Ceux-ci - Paul Finel/Denise Duval

5. Act Two, Scene Three: Oh! Ne Me Quittez Pas Sur Un Adieu De Facherie! - Paul Finel/Denise Duval

6. Act Two, Scene Three: Remettez-vous, Soeur Blanche - Rita Gorr/Denise Duval

7. Act Two, Scene Four: Prelude/Mes Cheres Filles, Ce Que J'al A Vous Dire - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux/Chor Du Theatre National De L'Opr De...

8. Act Two, Scene Four: Qu'allez-vous Devenir? - Denise Duval/Louis Rialland/Liliane Berton/Gisele Desmoutiers/Denise Scharley/Rita Gorr

9. Act Two, Scene Four: On A Tire La Clochette! - Liliane Berton/Gisele Desmoutiers/Louis Rialland/Chor Du Theatre National De L'Opera De Paris...

10. Act Two, Scene Four: Ou Sont Les Religieuses? - Raphael Romagnoni/Rita Gorr/Charles-Paul

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawless singing and the most moving music you'll ever hear!, July 11, 2004

By 

Ygor (Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites / D. Duval · Crespin · Scharley · Berton · Gorr · Depraz · Ninel · Fourrier · Desmoutiers · Opéra de Paris · Dervaux (Audio CD)

I consider Dialogues des Carmélites the most likeable opera of the last fifty years. It was first performed at the La Scala in 1957 and since then all the main Opera Houses in the world have performed it and some of the greatest singers have sung it. It's not difficult to understand why. It has one of the most beautiful plots ever written for opera and the most touching music you'll ever hear. It's almost impossible not to be moved when you listen to it, particularly in Madama Lidoine's final aria "Mes filles, voilà que s'achève" and the final chorus "Salve Regina".
It was a so successful opera that was recorded by EMI just one year after its world premiere. The cast is unsurpassable, and in this recording we do feel the drama, particularly the fear of death, which are the main purpose of the opera.
Denise Duval has a truly French voice, and it's youthful, with kind of a tearful or afraid tone that helps us to understand Blanche's character. Then we have Régine Crespin's unbeliavable Madame Lidoine! She simply reaches perfection, and I would dare to say it's the most creamy, beautiful voice I've ever heard. Her technique allows her to sing everything as if it was simply talking to someone. Her imposing voice fits very well into Madame Lidoine's character. We also have wonderful contributions of Rita Gorr as Mère Marie and Liliane Berton as Soeur Constance, alongside with the shocking, intense interpretation of Denise Scharley as the dying Madame de Croissy.

This is a French opera sung practically only by French singers and conducted by a great French conductor. The chorus is also French. Thus, we have not only flawless singing, but perfect style and diction.
If either you want to know this wonderful opera or looks for a good recording, I recommend it as the most perfect version ever made!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Twentieth Century Masterpiece, May 6, 2006

By 

Timothy Kearney (Haverhill, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites / D. Duval · Crespin · Scharley · Berton · Gorr · Depraz · Ninel · Fourrier · Desmoutiers · Opéra de Paris · Dervaux (Audio CD)

I became interested in Poulenc's DIALOGUES des CARMELITES long before I heard a note of the opera. I was twelve or thirteen at the time and was looking something up in an encyclopedia and I came across the entry for opera. Glossy photographs accompanied the entry and a stark black and white photograph of singers dressed as nuns lying prostrate on the floor piqued my curiosity. I'm sure it was a number of years later before I ever heard a note of the opera itself, but that image has remained with me for many years and it may be a reason why the opera has fascinated me over the years.

The story of the opera is about a Carmelite convent that was suppressed during the French Revolution and its nuns, who resisted the order of suppression were martyred. The story has become part of French culture and it caught the attention of Francois Poulenc, a composer who had moderate success during his lifetime but up to that time had not composed anything that would outlive him. DIALOGUES turned out to be his masterpiece. The powerful music, with a lush and fluid sound, a far cry form much of what was written for the operatic stage in the 1950's, is aided by a powerful libretto written by none other than Georges Bernanos, the great French writer who had the literary talent to write a wonderful story and the an understanding of Catholicism and a spirituality that can only come from a person of authentic faith.

This recording was the first studio recording of the work and the cast includes some of the singers who performed in the work's premiere. Poulenc himself was also an advisor when the work was recorded, so perhaps this may be one of the few operatic recordings that we have that is true to the composer's intentions since the composer was involved in the recording. The cast includes one of opera's greatest voices, Regine Crespin as well as one of the best known mezzos of the French repertoire Rita Gorr. While the recording has been remastered, listeners will immediately notice it was first recorded in mono so it has an aged sound to it. Yet this should not be a deterrant because it has dramatic intensity. Very often I listen to opera while doing something else, and I will have to admit I can be working away as some of opera's most gory death scenes occur and barely notice. Yet whenever I listen DIALOGUES and hear the nuns sing "Salve Regina" and hear the chorus diminished one by one as the nuns are executed, and hear the guillotine (a percussion representation of the guillotine, of course) I always stop and pause. Even the total destruction of DIE GOTTERDAMMERUNG doesn't cause me to pause the way DIALOGUES can.

If your purchasing this recording, you may also want to consider reading M. Owen Lee's commentary on this work in his volume A SEASON OF OPERA FROM ORPHEUS TO ARIADNE. In this entry Fr. Lee combines all that makes this a wonderful opera.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, February 19, 2006

By 

R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites / D. Duval · Crespin · Scharley · Berton · Gorr · Depraz · Ninel · Fourrier · Desmoutiers · Opéra de Paris · Dervaux (Audio CD)

This is an excellent recording of this moving opera. Recorded in France in the late 50s, it features an entirely French cast. The sound quality is very good. The singing is excellent with nicely balanced orchestral work. The product partially of Poulenc's re-engagement with Christianity, Dialogues is the story of the martyrdom of a group of nuns during the French revolution. Characterized by deceptively simple, at times seemingly understated, music, Dialogues features lovely vocal writing married to a strong message about the value of faith. The final scene is a remarkable fusion of unaffected drama and music.