Dialogues des Carmélites (1953-1956): Sixteen martyrs for Poulenc’s sins

Bunkhall, Kerry 2025. Dialogues des Carmélites (1953-1956): Sixteen martyrs for Poulenc’s sins. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

The opera Dialogues des Carmélites (1953-1956) is among Poulenc’s most profoundly religious works and the culmination of his renewed dedication to Roman Catholicism. Portraying the true story of the martyrdom of sixteen nuns in the final days of the French Revolution, the opera is centred around the concept of the Transfer of Grace: the act of suffering to atone for the sins of another. For Poulenc, this concept extended beyond the stage as he witnessed the decline of his lover, Lucien Roubert, who died the day that the opera was completed and, in the eyes of Poulenc, in his place. The composition coincided with a selfconfessed nervous breakdown and a significant crisis of faith as Poulenc attempted to reconcile himself with his actions and their spiritual consequences. This thesis considers Dialogues des Carmélites as a vehicle for the redemption of Poulenc’s self-perceived sins through investigating his correspondence, interviews, and firsthand accounts from those close to him. Whilst scholars have acknowledged the presence of Catholic concepts in the opera, this thesis presents a new assessment of Poulenc’s interests in the Carmelite Order, Christian mysticism, and the specific notions Poulenc chose to magnify, such as the Agony of Christ, Communion of Saints, the Dark Night of the Soul and the Holy Trinity. It considers how he approached these ideas musically through a critical analysis of motivic material and investigation of significant parallels with Poulenc’s liturgical music, while also exploring his symbolic use of silence, a feature inspired by Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande (1902). Poulenc’s own declaration that he hoped God would ‘take into account’ his religious music creates a compelling argument that spiritual motivations provided the underlying catalyst for the composition of Dialogues des Carmélites.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Music
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 October 2025
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2025 15:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/181482

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