Dialogues des Carmélites (
Dialogues of the Carmelites) is a 1956 French-language
opera in twelve scenes and several orchestral interludes, grouped into three acts, by
Francis Poulenc. It is the composer's second opera; he wrote the libretto after a scheme by novelist
Georges Bernanos. Its première took place (in an
Italian translation) in January 1957 at
La Scala in Milan; premières in
Paris, France in French and in the United States (in English translation) in
San Francisco followed the same year.