Definitely not your average opera

Vancouver Opera is presenting French Catholic composer Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, the story of an order of Carmelite nuns executed during the French Revolution. The opera's company manager, Adrianne Wurz, wrote the following piece describing her feelings about the opera, and how moving it was for her as a Catholic to participate in an opera that spoke to her faith.

Opening night for Dialogues of the Carmelites is Saturday, Nov. 26, with subsequent performances Tuesday, Nov. 29, Thursday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec, 3. All performances take place at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Georgia and Hamilton Streets, beginning at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available by telephone (604-683-0222), or online at www.vancouveropera.ca.

By Adrianne Wurz

Working for an opera company in the artistic administration department gives me an opportunity to see opera from a unique perspective. Delving into the music and stories of the works that Vancouver Opera produces is one of my favourite parts of the job.

The stories of opera are about people and their lives; there are comedies, tragedies and dramas with plots involving romance, lust, murder and intrigue. In university, my History of Music professor described a typical opera plot by saying, “There is a love triangle and someone dies.” While this may be true of many operas, Francis Poulenc’s opera Dialogues of the Carmelites is different.

Perhaps there is a love story in this opera – one of love of God, community and family. Certainly someone dies—in fact 16 people die. The opera is based on the true story of a community of Carmelite nuns who were sent to death by guillotine during the French Revolution. In 1906, Pope Pius X beatified the 16 Carmelites whose story lives on in their history, a novel, a play, a film, an opera and the prayers of today’s Carmelites.

The opera opens in April 1789 with the timid and fearful Blanche de la Force announcing to her father that she intends to join the Carmelite Convent at Compiègne. Upon entering the convent Blanche meets the novice Constance who reveals her wish that the two of them will die together before growing old.

The Prioress is on her deathbed, fearful and unprepared despite thirty years of contemplation of death. She entrusts Blanche to the care of Mère Marie and before dying relates a vision of an empty and desecrated convent. Following the death of the Prioress the Carmelites gather for the ceremony of obedience to the new Prioress, Madame Lidoine.

In the autumn of 1792 the Chaplain, barred from performing his duties as a priest leads a final mass before going into hiding. An officer reads an order expelling the sisters and dissolving the convent. With the new Prioress away in Paris, the community assembles in the desecrated chapel where Mère Marie proposes taking a secret vow of martyrdom. A secret vote fails by a single dissent. Blanche is suspected as the dissenter but Constance confesses and reverses the vote. After the vow is taken, Blanche flees.

A crowd is gathers at the Place de la Révolution to watch as the nuns make their way to the scaffold singing the Salve Regina. As each nun passes the Chaplain, he secretly gives her absolution. One by one, the guillotine silences the voices of the Carmelites. Watching from the crowd, Blanche finds peace for the first time in her life, and ascends the scaffold.

As we go through the rehearsal process this piece resonates for me more and more. In particular, I remember the Ignatian tradition of finding God in the reality of our daily lives. The story of the Carmelites reminds me of the people of great strength, fortitude and faith who have touched my life.

Foremost is Father Martin Royackers, the Canadian Jesuit who was murdered in Jamaica in 2001 and whose commitment to God, faith, compassion, understanding of people and belief in social justice were inspiring. His example affected my faith in profound ways, as I was privileged to know him.

The personal struggles of the Carmelites are ones that we can relate to in our daily lives. The Prioress struggles with death and dies with difficulty instead of dying peacefully and with acceptance as is expected of her.

Mère Marie is passed over when Madame Lidoine becomes the new Prioress and she must face that disappointment and continue to live in communion with her sisters. Blanche, who lives life in fear, enters the convent looking for safety and is told that the convent is not a refuge but a house of prayer. Blanche must find strength of faith to find peace.

And finally, there is Constance, who is perhaps most like St. Teresa in her naiveté and total and absolute commitment to God. These people are all “holy” people, but in many ways are like all of us. They are imperfect people who struggle with life as we do, but whose power of faith changes their lives and the lives of the people around them.

Daily I listen to the story of these women’s struggles and watch as the singers strive to know and understand their characters through the beauty of Poulenc’s music and the story of the Carmelites.

Stage director Tazewell Thompson, who spent six years of his childhood living in a Dominican Convent, guides them. He received special dispensation from the Pope to live at a strict order of Carmelites at their Monastery in Montreal, in order better to understand the characters of the opera.

His history of living in the convent and his understanding of the Carmelites is remarkable: he brings truth and compassion to the opera.

The music of Dialogues of the Carmelites is beautiful and evocative. Through the rich orchestration and melodies one can hear the emotions of the characters. Maestro Jonathan Darlington brings understanding and grace to the work with a wonderful cast of singers including Judith Forst, Kathleen Brett, Nathalie Paulin, Measha Brueggergosman, Claire Primrose, John Fanning and John Tessier.

Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year and a time of preparation. Dialogues of the Carmelites opens on November 26, the eve of the First Sunday of Advent.

During this season we often attend other wonderful holiday performances like The Nutcracker and The Messiah. However, it seems to me that this opera is a fitting beginning to Advent, an opportunity to reflect on the faith and transformations of the Carmelites on their individual and collective journeys as we prepare, in our own ways, for the miracle of the nativity and continue to seek God in the reality of daily life.