Tara Erraught - New production Dialogues des Carmélites at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe

Amidst the turmoil of the French Revolution and Robespierre's subsequent Reign of Terror, the noblewoman Blanche de la Force leads a life of fear – and rightly so. She seeks refuge and peace in the convent, but in vain. Together, the sixteen sisters choose the only way out: martyrdom on the scaffold…

Dialogues des Carmélites is based on a true story: it entered the literary canon in 1931 in Gertrud von le Fort's novella The Last One on the Scaffold , which in turn inspired Georges Bernanos' screenplay, which Poulenc used as the basis for his libretto and composition. Commissioned by La Scala in Milan in 1953, the opera's highly successful premiere was delayed until January 26, 1957, due to a bitter legal dispute and an existential creative and personal crisis for the composer. To this day, the powerful composition remains one of the most important works of modern music theater. The sixteen martyrs of Compiègne were only canonized by Pope Francis in 2024. Director Andrea Schwalbach re-examines the case of these women condemned to death in court.

The following performances will feature Tara Erraught as Blanche de la Force : 

Premiere: January 24, 2026

January 28, 2026
February 6, 2026
February 15, 2026
March 11, 2026
April 3, 2026