Faust (opera)

Faust
Opera by Charles Gounod
Marguerite's garden in the original production, set design by Édouard Desplechin
Librettist
Based on Faust et Marguerite
by Carré
Premiere 19 March 1859 (1859-03-19)
Théâtre Lyrique , Paris

Faust is an opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part One. It debuted at the Théâtre Lyrique on the Boulevard du Temple in Paris on 19 March 1859, with influential sets designed by Charles-Antoine Cambon and Joseph Thierry, Jean Émile Daran, Édouard Desplechin, and Philippe Chaperon.

Performance history

Miolan-Carvalho as Marguerite (1860)

The manager of the Théâtre Lyrique, Léon Carvalho cast his wife Marie Miolan-Carvalho as Marguerite and there were various changes during production, including cutting several numbers.[1] Tenor Hector Gruyer was originally cast as Faust but was found to be inadequate during rehearsals and was replaced by a star of the Opéra-Comique, Joseph-Théodore-Désiré Barbot, at short notice.[1]

After a successful initial run at the Théâtre Lyrique the publisher Antoine Choudens, who purchased the copyright for 10,000 francs, took the work (with added recitatives replacing the original spoken dialogue) on tour through Germany, Belgium, Italy and England, with Marie Miolan-Carvalho repeating her role.[1] Performances in Germany followed, with Dresden in 1861 being the first to bill the work as Marguerite rather than Faust, still often done in Germany, out of respect for Goethe's poetic drama to which the opera does not bear a close relationship.[1]

The opera was given for the first time in Italy at La Scala in 1862 and in the UK at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, in Italian, in 1863. In 1864, when the opera was given at the same venue in English, Gounod took a theme from the prelude to the opera and wrote a new aria for the star baritone Charles Santley, in the role of Valentin, 'Even bravest heart may swell' with words by Henry Chorley, which was then translated into French for other productions as ‘Avant de quitter ces lieux’ and has become one of the most familiar pieces from the opera.[1]

A ballet had to be inserted before the work could be played at the Opéra in 1869: it became the most frequently performed opera at that house.[1] Thus with the change from spoken dialogue to sung recitatives between the musical numbers and the addition of a lengthy ballet the opera was eventually transformed into a work that followed the conventions of grand opera.[2]

The opera is frequently performed worldwide.[3]

It was Faust with which the Metropolitan Opera in New York City opened for the first time on 22 October 1883. It is the eighth most frequently performed opera there, with 753 performances through the 2012-2013 season. It was not until the period between 1965 and 1977 that the full version was performed (and then with some minor cuts), and all performances in that production included the Walpurgisnacht ballet.[4]

Roles

The vision of Marguerite as staged at Covent Garden in 1864 with Jean-Baptiste Faure as Méphistophélès and Giovanni Mario as Faust
Role Voice type Premiere cast, 19 March 1859
(Conductor: Adolphe Deloffre)[5]
Faust, a philosopher and metaphysician tenor Joseph-Théodore-Désiré Barbot
Méphistophélès, a familiar spirit of hell bass-baritone Émile Balanqué
Marguerite, a young maiden soprano Marie Caroline Miolan-Carvalho
Valentin, a soldier, Marguerite's brother baritone Osmond Raynal
Wagner, friend of Valentin baritone M. Cibot
Siébel, a youth, in love with Marguerite mezzo-soprano or soprano
(breeches role)		 Amélie Faivre
Marthe Schwertlein, Marguerite's guardian mezzo-soprano or contralto Duclos
Young girls, labourers, students, soldiers, burghers, matrons, invisible demons,
church choir, witches, queens and courtesans of antiquity, celestial voices

Synopsis

Place: Germany
Time: 16th century

Act 1

Faust's cabinet

Faust, an aging scholar, determines that his studies have come to nothing and have only caused him to miss out on life and love (Rien! En vain j'interroge). He attempts to kill himself (twice) with poison but stops each time when he hears a choir. He curses science and faith, and asks for infernal guidance. Méphistophélès appears (duet: Me voici) and, with a tempting image of Marguerite at her spinning wheel, persuades Faust to buy Méphistophélès's services on earth in exchange for Faust's in Hell. Faust's goblet of poison is magically transformed into an elixir of youth, making the aged doctor a handsome young gentleman; the strange companions then set out into the world.

Act 2

At the city gates

A chorus of students, soldiers and villagers sings a drinking song (Vin ou Bière). Valentin, leaving for war with his friend Wagner, entrusts the care of his sister Marguerite to his youthful friend Siébel (O sainte médaille ... Avant de quitter ces lieux). Méphistophélès appears, provides the crowd with wine, and sings a rousing, irreverent song about the Golden Calf (Le veau d'or). Méphistophélès maligns Marguerite, and Valentin tries to strike him with his sword, which shatters in the air. Valentin and friends use the cross-shaped hilts of their swords to fend off what they now know is an infernal power (chorus: De l'enfer). Méphistophélès is joined by Faust and the villagers in a waltz (Ainsi que la brise légère). Marguerite appears and Faust declares his admiration, but she refuses Faust's arm out of modesty, a quality that makes him love her even more.

Act 3

Feodor Chaliapin as Méphistophélès, 1915

Marguerite's garden

The lovesick boy Siébel leaves a bouquet for Marguerite (Faites-lui mes aveux). Faust sends Méphistophélès in search of a gift for Marguerite and sings a cavatina (Salut, demeure chaste et pure) idealizing Marguerite as a pure child of nature. Méphistophélès brings in a decorated box containing exquisite jewelry and a hand mirror and leaves it on Marguerite's doorstep, next to Siébel's flowers. Marguerite enters, pondering her encounter with Faust at the city gates, and sings a melancholy ballad about the King of Thule (Il était un roi de Thulé). Marthe, Marguerite's neighbour, notices the jewellery and says it must be from an admirer. Marguerite tries on the jewels and is captivated by how they enhance her beauty, as she sings in the famous aria, the Jewel Song (Ah! je ris de me voir si belle en ce miroir). Méphistophélès and Faust join the women in the garden and romance them. Marguerite allows Faust to kiss her (Laisse-moi, laisse-moi contempler ton visage), but then asks him to go away. She sings at her window for his quick return, and Faust, listening, returns to her. Under the watchful eye and malevolent laughter of Méphistophélès, it is clear that Faust's seduction of Marguerite will be successful.

Act 4

Marguerite's room / A public square outside her house / A cathedral

[Note: The scenes of acts 4 and 5 are sometimes given in a different order and portions are sometimes shortened or cut in performance.][6]

Marguerite prays in the cathedral, set design by Charles-Antoine Cambon

After being made pregnant and seemingly abandoned by Faust, Marguerite has given birth and is a social outcast. She sings an aria at her spinning wheel (Il ne revient pas). Siébel stands by her. The scene shifts to the square outside Marguerite's house. Valentin's company returns from the war to a military march (Deposons les armes and Gloire immortelle de nos aïeux, the well-known "soldiers' chorus"). Siébel asks Valentin to forgive Marguerite. Valentin rushes to her cottage. While he is inside Faust and Méphistophélès appear, and Méphistophélès, knowing that Marguerite is not in there alone, sings a mocking burlesque of a lover's serenade under Marguerite's window (Vous qui faites l'endormie). Valentin takes the bait and comes out of the cottage, now knowing that Faust has debauched his sister. The two men fight, but Faust is reluctant to hurt the brother of the woman he adores. Méphistophélès blocks Valentin's sword, allowing Faust to make the fatal thrust. With his dying breath Valentin blames Marguerite for his death and condemns her to Hell before the assembled townspeople (Ecoute-moi bien Marguerite). Marguerite goes to the church and tries to pray there but is stopped, first by the sadistic Méphistophélès and then by a choir of devils. She finishes her prayer but faints when she is cursed again by Méphistophélès.

Act 5

The Harz mountains on Walpurgis Night / A cavern / The interior of a prison

Méphistophélès and Faust are surrounded by witches (Un, deux et trois). Faust is transported to a cave of queens and courtesans, and Méphistophélès promises to provide Faust with the love of the greatest and most beautiful women in history. An orgiastic ballet suggests the revelry that continues throughout the night. As dawn approaches, Faust sees a vision of Marguerite and calls for her. Méphistophélès helps Faust enter the prison where Marguerite is being held for killing her child. They sing a love duet (Oui, c'est toi que j'aime). Méphistophélès states that only a mortal hand can deliver Marguerite from her fate, and Faust offers to rescue her from the hangman, but she prefers to trust her fate to God and His angels (Anges purs, anges radieux). At the end she asks why Faust's hands are covered in blood, pushes him away, and falls down motionless. Méphistophélès curses, as a voice on high sings "Sauvée!" ("Saved!"). The bells of Easter sound and a chorus of angels sings "Christ est ressuscité!" ('"Christ is risen!"). The walls of the prison open, and Marguerite's soul rises to heaven. In despair Faust follows it with his eyes; he falls to his knees and prays. Méphistophélès is turned away by the shining sword of the archangel.[7][1]

Ballet

Although the Walpurgisnacht ballet sequence from act 5 is often omitted from staged opera performances, it is frequently performed separately as part of a ballet program, e.g. George Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht Ballet.[8]

Recordings

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Huebner, Stephen. "Faust(ii)". In Deane L. Root. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Schwarm, Betsy. "Faust". britannica.com.
  3. ↑ "Performances, faust by city". operabase.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  4. ↑ The Met database (archives)
  5. ↑ Kaminski, Piotr (2003). Mille et un opéras. Fayard. p. 1800. ISBN 978-2213600178.
  6. ↑ The description given here follows the order of the scenes as performed in the original production at the Théâtre Lyrique (Walsh 1981, p. 100) and as described in the plot summaries written by Steven Huebner (1992, pp. 133–134; 2001, p. 337).
  7. ↑ Barbier & Carré 1859, p. 72.
  8. ↑ Martin, John (24 August 1947). "New Works for Ballet Russe". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2018.

Sources

  • Barbier, Jules; Carré, Michel (1859). Faust (libretto). Paris: Michel Lévy Frères. View at Google Books.
  • Holden, Amanda, (Ed.) (2001). The New Penguin Opera Guide. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-051475-9 (paperback).
  • Huebner, Steven (1992). "Faust (ii)" in Sadie 1992, vol. 2, pp. 131–135.
  • Huebner, Steven (2001). "Charles Gounod" in Holden 2001, pp. 334–340.
  • Sadie, Stanley, editor (1992). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (4 volumes). London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-56159-228-9.
  • Walsh, T. J. (1981). Second Empire Opera: The Théâtre Lyrique, Paris, 1851–1870. London: John Calder. ISBN 978-0-7145-3659-0.
  • Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992). The Oxford Dictionary of Opera. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-869164-8.
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