James Darrah's LA VOIX Film Starring Patricia Racette Premieres September 24

The role of Elle, the lone character in Francis Poulenc's La voix humaine, has been called a true tour de force for Patricia Racette, who has brought her "deeply poignant" (Chicago Tribune) characterization of the one-act opera to life in productions in Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, and other cities over the past five years. This fall, the star soprano takes her acclaimed interpretation of Elle from the stage to the screen in a new film adaptation of the French monodrama, streaming on the Opera Philadelphia Channel beginning on Friday, September 24.

Described by Poulenc as "a musical confession," La voix humaine tells the story of one woman as she grapples with grief, denial, and anger in the face of unrequited love, all expressed through one side of a telephone call. Filmed at the gilded Elkins Estate in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, this new cinematic interpretation imbues Poulenc's intimate 1958 musical creation with even greater psychological insight and nuance.

The new film is directed by James Darrah, called "the pandemic's go-to director" by the LA Times. Darrah has brought a cinematic lens to opera over the past 18 months as creative producer and co-screenwriter for Opera Philadelphia's film of David T. Little's Soldier Songs, director and co-creator of Boston Lyric Opera's The Fall of the House of Usher animated film and desert in streaming television series, and creative director of digital projects with LA Opera and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

His collaborators on La voix humaine include music director and pianist Christopher Allen, costume designer Chrisi Karvonides, production designer Tony Fanning, and film editor Adam Larsen.

"La voix humaine is absolutely perfect for the language of cinema," Racette said. "The ability to look into the psyche of this character and offer a level of nuance that perhaps might go unnoticed on the stage but certainly is amplified and celebrated through the lens is very exciting. It's what we need in this art form, it's what we need in this world, to be able to really immerse ourselves in the detail of these stories without any sort of a barrier."

The film will be available for rent for $20 as well as unlimited viewing with an annual Channel Pass beginning September 24. Visit operaphila.tv to start streaming the Opera Philadelphia Channel.

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