Claudie Gastine

Poulenc's music is almost hard to believe; romantic without sweetness, contemporary without alienating, and among the extraordinary composers repertoire this epic opera stands out as a remarkable achievement, and this season Washington National Opera Artistic Director Francesca Zambello has designed a beautiful production to accompany it. That and some of the most impressive vocal power on display anywhere in the city makes the Kennedy Center's latest operatic offering an absolute joy to the senses.