Metropolitan Opera Preview: Dialogues of the Carmelites

A great, old-school Met production receives a necessary revival.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

All in a row: Isabel Leonard (left) stars as Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites.
Photo by Ken Howard © 2013 The Metropolitan Opera.

The Metropolitan Opera's production of Dialogues des Carmélites is the stuff of legend. It's the Holy Grail for lovers of French opera and modernistic staging: a stark, elegant vision (by John Dexter) of emotional depth and religious beauty.  The good news is that this revival stars Isabel Leonard as Blanche. Patricia Racette (who sang the leading role the last time the Met revived this opera) is Madame Lidoine.. Felicity Palmer and Paul Appleby round out a stellar cast.

The bad news: the Met has scheduled just three performances.