Performance History
The opera was first performed in an Italian translation at La Scala on 26 January 1957. The original French version premiered on 21 June that year by the Paris Théâtre National de l'Opéra (the current Opéra National de Paris); the Paris cast had been chosen by Poulenc and included Denise Duval (Blanche de la Force), Regine Crespin (Madam Lidoine), Rita Gorr (Mother Marie), and Liliane Berton (Sister Constance). The United States premiere took place three months later, on 20 September, in English, at San Francisco Opera; this featured the opera stage debut of Leontyne Price (as Madame Lidoine). The opera was not presented in New York until 3 March 1966, in a staging by New York City Opera.
Read more about this topic: Dialogues Of The Carmelites
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