However you define it, the piece is a tourdeforce for the chorus. Hungarian march orchestre national du capitole tugan sokhiev. Find the metropolitan opera on facebook opens new window find the metropolitan opera on twitter opens new window find the metropolitan opera on instagram opens new window. Faust tries to convince the girl that he also believes and worships god, but she does not quite believe him. This retelling of the story is usually performed at concert halls and it is no different to the victorian leeds town hall where the. Musical works based on the faust story include hector berliozs cantata, the damnation of faust 1846, charles gounods opera, faust 1859, arrigo boitos opera, mefistofele 1868, and the faust symphony 1857 of franz lizt. Damnation definition, the act of damning or the state of being damned. A listeners guide to berliozs the damnation of faust. Faust was born in knittlingen, wurttemberg, around the year 1480, was educated at the university of cracow in poland, and died around 1540 in staufen im breisgau.
Paul groves is dashing as faust with an appealing dreamlike quality in his eyes, and his voice meets the lyric and dramatic demands of the role perfectly. Finally, the faustbook ends with faustus awaiting the final hour of his life before he is carried off to eternal damnation by the agents of the underworld. The damnation of faust arts and education council of st. The damnation of faust, dramatic legend, as berlioz calls it, was written in 1846. About to end his life, faust meets mephistopheles, who offers him the fountain elixir. French composer hector berlioz puts a unique spin on the familiar tale of faust, the scholarscientist who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for love and knowledge. From selling your soul to the devil to finding salvation sir simon rattle ventures through berliozs tempestuous oratorio, the damnation of faust.
The infinite dome of heaven rains down a thousand bright lights. Damnation of faust is devilishly cool chicago tribune. The faust legend has been the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and. Faust the legend of faust from the renaissance times. Memoirs, second visit to germany, third letter to m. Hector berlioz 18031869 the damnation of faust part one introduction scene i the plains of hungary. Sometimes referred to as one of the two quintessential myths of western culture the other being don giovanni, the story of faust was an. True salvation or damnation is given by god after death, and no human can know gods will, though many think they can bend it. Faust finds himself at the roses club, a brothel with narcotic flowers as its theme. Nov, 2015 faust times the dallas symphony orchestra and chorus, with help from guest soloists and conductor jacques lacombe, offer up a devilishly good the damnation of faust.
The story is told in 8 episodic scenes, in cirque du soleil style. The chorus, for what they lack in presence, make up for it by excellent singing. This popular poem was used by many composers to set to music, including wagner, schumann, and liszt. The damnation of faust heads to powell hall march 14. It was first performed at the operacomique in paris on 6 december 1846. Second, it feels distant from our lived experience. The damnation of faust is a relatively weak entry among the story films of georges melies, whose oeuvre includes such early cinema classics as bluebeard 1901, a trip to the moon 1902, the kingdom of the fairies 1903 and the impossible voyage 1904. At the metropolitan opera, a world morphs on video the. Msos performance will feature four soloists, over 160 chorus members and a 90 piece orchestra. Boston symphony orchestra, charles munch, hector berlioz. Glyndebourne opens its season and marks the 150th anniversary of berliozs death with a new production of the damnation of faust, directed by. Hector berlioz 180369 the damnation of faust, dramatic legend, as berlioz calls it, was written in 1846. Charles gounods faust is a threepart tragedy that takes place in 16th century germany.
Faust struggles with the decision, but the devil tempts him further by showing him a vision of a beautiful young maiden, marguerite. Faust returns to gretchen, and one night in her room, they discuss his feelings on religion. Marlowes rendition of the legend was popular in england and germany until the midseventeenth century, but eventually the faust story lost much of its appeal. Because of logistical considerations it was mounted in concert form on the stage rather. Returning to his study, he is about to commit suicide when he is halted by. Faust, opera in five or sometimes four acts by french composer charles gounod french libretto by jules barbier and michel carre that premiered in paris on march 19, 1859. The aging scholar faust contemplates the renewal of nature. Berliozs musical version of the damnation of faust. Hector berlioz the damnation of faust hungarian march. The conducting is very efficient, with few if any of the tempos questionable. Faust s tale serves as a warning for those seeking to fulfill their earthly desires without the help of god. It is divided into four parts, the first containing three, the second four, the third six, and the fourth five scenes, the last concluding with an epilogue and the apotheosis of marguerite. Faust summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. With marcello giordani, susan graham, john relyea, patrick carfizzi.
The devil tells faust that he can have it, but only if he forfeits his soul. Berliozs the damnation of faust is based on goethes. The erudite faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the devil at a crossroads, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Saturday afternoon saw the return of berliozs damnation of faust to the met, not seen there since 2009. Faust, hero of one of the most durable legends in western folklore and literature, the story of a german necromancer or astrologer who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. He brings a dream cast to tell berliozs story of love, death and the devil. Tenor daniel clark smith gives us an idea of how we express the text and story line without sets or costumes.
The route to the depths of perdition a dazzingly sensational new effect. Inflamed with desire, faust begs mephistopheles to take him immediately to her, and they set off towards the town. Faust is the protagonist of a classic german legend, based on the historical johann georg faust c. He sings of his inability to connect to the natural world disconnected from his fellow men. Feb 18, 2020 the damnation of faust is among music director stephane deneves favorite works. Guest singer michael spyres talked about the story of the damnation of faust. The story has also inspired musical works, including the operas the damnation of faust 1846 by hector berlioz and faust 1859 by charles gounod. Hector berlioz faust is a dramatic legend that draws freely on goethes play. He has studied and mastered all fields of human knowledge, from law to. Featuring only three main characters, and being too episodic in its storyline and too spectacular in its visual conception to be easily staged, it does not meet the typical requirements of opera.
Performances of berlioz s the damnation of faust are a rarity due to its vast staging and technical requirements. Like many of berliozs major works, the damnation of fausts structure defies routine categorization. Conceiving an artistically defining experience that tells the story of faust as an opera might seem overwhelming and too intense of an idea. Faust is damned in the early sixteenth century stories, but those were superstitious and constrained times. Berliozs the damnation of faust is a work born of the composers obsession with goethes legendary tale. The damnation of faustus in christopher marlowes tragical history of dr. But berliozs recasting of the faust legend allows a maverick creativity like gilliams the freedom to flourish, refracting the story through german history and culture from the 19th century to. Called a dramatic legend, it is presented as a series of tableaux vivants whose staging remains difficult. Read the libretto for berliozs the damnation of faust french english translation look out for. To acquire greater wisdom, power, and pleasure, faust turned away from god and made a pact with the devil, mephistopheles. Berlioz hungarian march the damnation of faust youtube.
It was first performed at the operacomique in paris on 6december 1846. Marlowes rendition of the legend was popular in england and germany until the midseventeenth century, but eventually the faust story lost much of. The damnation of faust, dramatic legend in four parts, op. An army marches past in the distance hungarian march. Based in part on the life story of nietzsche, the novel explores how nihilism and primitivism usurp bourgeois culture. The met opera cuts back on screen time for berlioz next season. Faust makes a deal with the devil, and the devil turns the poison into a potion of youth. I consider this to be one of my best works, hector berlioz wrote of the damnation of faust. It is said that berlioz never intended for it to be staged.
Mephistopheles and his spirits lull the scholar into a dream state, showing him a vision of a beautiful young woman marguerite. This is one of many musical works in 19th century that was based on goethes faust. Once a righteous scholar, faust allows himself to be corrupted by the devil, and drags the innocent around him into desperation and death. The composer projected himself into the moral suffering of this character who went on to inspire so many other musicians. The damnation of faustus in marlowes tragical history. Humbert ferrand among the works on the programme of a concert at pesth in february 1846 was the march which now serves as the finale of part i of my legend of faust. It is more of a theatre of the imagination, intertwining. The damnation of faust 1903 directed by georges melies. Its loosely based on the threepart tragedy, faust by goethe and premiered on march 19, 1859, at the theatre lyrique in paris, france. At intermission of the lyric opera of chicagos production of the damnation of faust on monday night, a woman two rows ahead commented on. Hector berlioz the damnation of faust hungarian march youtube. The met opera cuts back on screen time for berlioz next. Berlioz transformed this book, by goethe, into a concert opera, the damnation of faust. But in selling his soul, he gained eternal damnation.
Contexts faust although the most interesting parts of the faust story are wholly legendary, there was in fact a historical johann faust around whom the legends formed. Faust myth encyclopedia god, story, legend, names, hero, evil. Those who enjoy a good pactwiththedevil story now and again wont want to miss the most famous of them all, goethes faust. The listener here again recognizes the stunning modernism of berlioz and finds himself immersed in the unique soundworld of the composers imagination. So the faust story appears to also be the story of western civilization, and its. Faust, also called faustus, or doctor faustus, hero of one of the most durable legends in western folklore and literature, the story of a german necromancer or astrologer who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. It, like faust, has turned away from god and personal salvation, to ambitiously take its chances in the material world, dependent upon science and technology to achieve salvation for allin time. Faust agrees and as soon as this happens, he is thrust in hell an apocalypse where blood flows, skeletons dance and the lakes are set on fire, while marguerite, the naive soul which love lead astray, is welcomed in heaven. Gretchen is a faithful christian, and she knows that neither she nor her mother could accept a man that does not believe the same. Elina garanca, michael spyres, and ildar abdrazakov, with the met chorus in a concert.
It had been written the night before i left for hungary. Though the pieces spirit is one of unrelenting melancholy, it features much musical diversity and is kaleidoscopic, even cinematic, in its vision. The scholar faust is alone amongst his books, lost in thought. After a prelude set in the theater, where a production of faust is to be staged, as well as a prologue in heaven, where the devil mephistopheles declares to the lord his intention of tempting the great scholar heinrich faust to damnation, the play opens on a narrow, highvaulted study, where faust is sitting restlessly.
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