"She launched a river of blood"
Puglia, southern Italy, around 1400. A convent is invaded by the Tarantula cult, whose fanatical and crazed members desecrate the sacred place by committing obscene and bloody acts.
Social & External
The people behind it
Florinda Bolkan
Flavia Gaetani
María Casares
Sister Agatha
Claudio Cassinelli
Abraham
Anthony Higgins
Ahmed
Spiros Focás
The French Duke
Diego Michelotti
Flavia's Father
Raika Juri
Sister Livia
Jill Pratt
Mother Superior
Franca Grey
Village Girl
Laura De Marchi
Tarantula Cult Woman
South of Italy, XIX century. A couple of brigands are chased in the woods. The man has a bounty on his head and is terrified by everything, while the woman takes care of her newborn. They will be safe beyond the river, where they are going to abandon their son to some gang members in order to run faster. But the woman secretly hides the desire to keep the baby...
“In a world that often demands certainty, Dialogues des Carmélites invites us to sit with profound questions that have no easy answers: What makes a life worthy? How can we be truly prepared for our inevitable end? What does security mean when everything familiar is threatened? What sustains us when our institutions crumble? … Rather than imposing answers, the opera creates room for reflection on how faith manifests not as abstract doctrine, but as lived experience under extraordinary pressure.” — Louisa Muller, Director’s Note. Juilliard Opera directed by Louisa Muller. Matthew Aucoin conducts the Juilliard Orchestra. Performed and recorded on April 26, 2025 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater. Dialogues des Carmélites, an opera by Francis Poulenc. Libretto adapted by the composer.
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