Dialogues des Carmélites (1987)

In this legendary production director John Dexter and designer David Reppa brilliantly captured the stark drama of Poulencs only fulllength opera which tells the story of a group of nuns caught in the maelstrom of the French Revolution Maria Ewing is Blanche de la Force an aristocratic novice who flees her convent when it is desecrated only to return and join her fellow nuns as they are led to their execution The legendary Régine Crespin in her final Met appearance is Madame de Croissy the prioress whose agonizing death haunts Blanche Jessye Norman sings Mother Lidoine the new prioress and Florence Quivar is the comforting Mother Marie French maestro Manuel Rosenthal conducts