So beautiful and moving, it brought me to tears. I love the way the light makes the image of a dove from the breast and arms of the nun at the very end. So fitting, as their sacrifice brought about peace and transformation.
I love this performance because it emphasizes the music, specifically the harmony of the four last nuns (quartet @4:00 ) as it dissolves into the last two nuns (duet @ 4:39). In most versions on TH-cam, you cannot hear the harmony this clearly. Absolutely heavenly. I also like the subtitles with the libretto
We saw this production/ staging at the Lyric in Chicago several years ago. It is incredibly effective in the theater though this isn't reflected in this video. In context, you have no doubt what is happening to the nuns. I remember I was very sleepy at the time and still was spell-bound. You didn't hear a sound from the audience through this scene. I will never forget it.
I had a hard time following the dialogue that precedes this scene the first time I saw it too. This is a mesmerizing and thrilling finale though. The staging I saw had them ascending to the guillotine, out of sight as if they were, you know, ascending. I have come to really like Poulenc, including a lot of the music and the libretto that precedes this.
At the COC I recently saw this opera directed by Carsen (as at La Scala) and it was incredibly powerful. So many amazing visuals yet very simple set and costumes made the music stand out as the main character. An opera I will never forget!
SUCH powerful staging. I've seen some productions on TH-cam in which the nuns fall down suddenly and I had thought that that was THE way to stage this. But having the executed nun fall down slowly is so much more powerful. At first you don't know who's been killed and then when your eye catches the falling nun, it's incredibly striking. SUCH FANTASTIC SINGING as well, I personally think this scene is a testament to Poulenc's genius. I want to die when Blanche comes back on and sings on her own.
Anche per me è stato uno spettacolo bellissimo: fatto con niente (probabilmente per ricordare anche la povertà dell'ordine carmelitano), ma con tante idee.
Oh, is that what's happening? The body movements and and swaying to and fro looked like they were doing a flash mob. I didn't see anything that looked like a scaffold. I can see what makes it simple and moving, there is plenty of arm motion after all,
***** The production is very stylised, and we imagine the guillotine (the orchestra produces a strange 'slicing' noise, notice). When they fall to the ground we read it as if they have been guillotined. I tend to see those movements as prayer-like actions.
I don't know what is meant by the word "stylized" here. I would have used the word "confusing." Clearly you already know the story. How would someone who did not know what is happening (being guillotined) ever figure that out from this? It looks like they are doing martial arts exercises. If they are supposed to be Catholic nuns, why not have them pray in Catholic-like fashion (hands folded, heads bowed), so that the audience recognizes it?
***** By 'stylised' (English spelling) I mean that it is not naturalistic. Some opera productions are naturalistic i.e. true to life (in as far as an opera production can be 'true to life'), whereas other producers find different, more inventive, ways of interpreting the story, as Robert Carsen does here. I'm sure that, if you attended a full performance of the work (about two and a half hours), this scene would make complete sense in the context of what has gone before. Also, you would be able to read a synopsis of the action in the programme. This production is famous for the beauty and economy of its action and design; a highly sensitive and imaginative response to the music (something that should be common to all opera productions, but often isn't!) I'm familiar with this production on DVD, but am looking forward to seeing it at the Royal Opera House this June, with a fine cast.
@basselyrique: that's what I think too. I saw the opera a few days ago in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna with Carsen's staging and there was such a tension at that final scene with that choreography that a collapse would have disturbed it. The choreography might imply the community sense of the Carmelite nuns facing death together. I don't think that the gestures are too much. In fact it's quite minimalistic in my opinion as it emphasizes their strong faith and believe towards that situation.
@lauthomas5 c'est une mise en scène ! et une belle en plus selon moi. on ne sait/voit pas avant qui va ensuite à la guillotine (au contraire d'une mise en scène "classique" ou "traditionelle") et on tient le suspense comme ca. comme LoudCitizen a déjà dit : c'est le theâtre, c'est pas tout littéral.
@anamorphosys85, d'accord avec vous concernant le côté "suspense" bien qu'en dernier ce sera toujours Constance et Blanche, mais personnellement la gestique me déplaît, je trouve que ça fait un peu soirée annuelle de la "gym-dames" du 3ème âge!
@gnw1944 That's a very silly comment. Of course this production answers the question of how they died. You can clearly hear the guillotine every time one of them drops. This is theatre, everything is not supposed to be literal.
Je me demande si les bonnes soeurs pratiquaient le tai chi avant de monter à la guillotine durant la Révolution ??? Dommage.... la musique est si belle ainsi que les voix d'ailleurs!
![เปิดบ้าน โคตรสวย ป๋องกพล รู้จักตั้งนาน เพิ่งรู้ว่ารวย!!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tmgCF_2HfYI/mqdefault.jpg)
è una delle regie più sorprendenti e geniali...io c'ero, tutte le sere era un'emozione fortissima e poi ...che musica sublime!
So beautiful and moving, it brought me to tears. I love the way the light makes the image of a dove from the breast and arms of the nun at the very end. So fitting, as their sacrifice brought about peace and transformation.
I love this performance because it emphasizes the music, specifically the harmony of the four last nuns (quartet @4:00 ) as it dissolves into the last two nuns (duet @ 4:39). In most versions on TH-cam, you cannot hear the harmony this clearly. Absolutely heavenly.
I also like the subtitles with the libretto
We saw this production/ staging at the Lyric in Chicago several years ago. It is incredibly effective in the theater though this isn't reflected in this video. In context, you have no doubt what is happening to the nuns. I remember I was very sleepy at the time and still was spell-bound. You didn't hear a sound from the audience through this scene. I will never forget it.
I had a hard time following the dialogue that precedes this scene the first time I saw it too. This is a mesmerizing and thrilling finale though. The staging I saw had them ascending to the guillotine, out of sight as if they were, you know, ascending. I have come to really like Poulenc, including a lot of the music and the libretto that precedes this.
At the COC I recently saw this opera directed by Carsen (as at La Scala) and it was incredibly powerful. So many amazing visuals yet very simple set and costumes made the music stand out as the main character. An opera I will never forget!
SUCH powerful staging. I've seen some productions on TH-cam in which the nuns fall down suddenly and I had thought that that was THE way to stage this. But having the executed nun fall down slowly is so much more powerful. At first you don't know who's been killed and then when your eye catches the falling nun, it's incredibly striking. SUCH FANTASTIC SINGING as well, I personally think this scene is a testament to Poulenc's genius. I want to die when Blanche comes back on and sings on her own.
Really Good!,,, This is a great play
OMG it's marvellous!
Anche per me è stato uno spettacolo bellissimo: fatto con niente (probabilmente per ricordare anche la povertà dell'ordine carmelitano), ma con tante idee.
Laura SEI FANTASTICA!!!
a presto :-)
Bravo Carsen!
This production is a one-up on the famous Met staging. Simple. Moving. Stylized. All that good opera works best at.
This is the famous scene when the nuns take their morning yoga class. It's usually cut in production.
Are you being facetious? This is the final scene of the opera as the nuns go to the scaffold. A simple, effective and moving staging.
Oh, is that what's happening? The body movements and and swaying to and fro looked like they were doing a flash mob. I didn't see anything that looked like a scaffold. I can see what makes it simple and moving, there is plenty of arm motion after all,
***** The production is very stylised, and we imagine the guillotine (the orchestra produces a strange 'slicing' noise, notice). When they fall to the ground we read it as if they have been guillotined. I tend to see those movements as prayer-like actions.
I don't know what is meant by the word "stylized" here. I would have used the word "confusing." Clearly you already know the story. How would someone who did not know what is happening (being guillotined) ever figure that out from this? It looks like they are doing martial arts exercises. If they are supposed to be Catholic nuns, why not have them pray in Catholic-like fashion (hands folded, heads bowed), so that the audience recognizes it?
***** By 'stylised' (English spelling) I mean that it is not naturalistic. Some opera productions are naturalistic i.e. true to life (in as far as an opera production can be 'true to life'), whereas other producers find different, more inventive, ways of interpreting the story, as Robert Carsen does here. I'm sure that, if you attended a full performance of the work (about two and a half hours), this scene would make complete sense in the context of what has gone before. Also, you would be able to read a synopsis of the action in the programme.
This production is famous for the beauty and economy of its action and design; a highly sensitive and imaginative response to the music (something that should be common to all opera productions, but often isn't!)
I'm familiar with this production on DVD, but am looking forward to seeing it at the Royal Opera House this June, with a fine cast.
@basselyrique: that's what I think too. I saw the opera a few days ago in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna with Carsen's staging and there was such a tension at that final scene with that choreography that a collapse would have disturbed it. The choreography might imply the community sense of the Carmelite nuns facing death together. I don't think that the gestures are too much. In fact it's quite minimalistic in my opinion as it emphasizes their strong faith and believe towards that situation.
Productions like this do NOT answer the question of HOW they died !! To deny this SERIOUSLY compromises the power of impact !
@lauthomas5 c'est une mise en scène ! et une belle en plus selon moi. on ne sait/voit pas avant qui va ensuite à la guillotine (au contraire d'une mise en scène "classique" ou "traditionelle") et on tient le suspense comme ca. comme LoudCitizen a déjà dit : c'est le theâtre, c'est pas tout littéral.
@anamorphosys85, d'accord avec vous concernant le côté "suspense" bien qu'en dernier ce sera toujours Constance et Blanche, mais personnellement la gestique me déplaît, je trouve que ça fait un peu soirée annuelle de la "gym-dames" du 3ème âge!
Very strong scene
@gnw1944 That's a very silly comment. Of course this production answers the question of how they died. You can clearly hear the guillotine every time one of them drops. This is theatre, everything is not supposed to be literal.
Je me demande si les bonnes soeurs pratiquaient le tai chi avant de monter à la guillotine durant la Révolution ??? Dommage.... la musique est si belle ainsi que les voix d'ailleurs!
super carsen!!!!!!
Very great idea and beautiful gestures!!! BUT with extremely poor angels and focus of the camera!!!!! Ruined the whole picture of this scene!!!!!
C'est quoi cette aérobic avant le supplice? nul
But why this choreography ? Totally unnecessary, for me... Think about simplicity , all you directors : it often rewards !