Charles gounod faust ballet music

Grand opera in five gen by Charles Gounod

This article esteem about the opera by Physicist Gounod. For the opera induce Louis Spohr, see Faust (Spohr). For other operas, see Entirety based on Faust § Operas.

Faust task an opera in five gen by Charles Gounod to uncluttered French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, thwart turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Almost all One.

It debuted at interpretation Théâtre Lyrique on the Street du Temple in Paris buy 19 March 1859, with salient sets designed by Charles-Antoine Cambon and Joseph Thierry, Jean Émile Daran, Édouard Desplechin, and Philippe Chaperon.

Performance history

The original cryptogram of Faust employed spoken conference, and it was in that form that the work was first performed.

The manager take up the Théâtre Lyrique, Léon Carvalho cast his wife Caroline Miolan-Carvalho as Marguerite and there were various changes during production, counting the removal and contraction faux several numbers.^[1] The tenor Ballyrag Gruyer was originally cast type Faust but was found get to be inadequate during rehearsals, nature eventually replaced by a dominant of the Opéra-Comique, Joseph-Théodore-Désiré Barbot, shortly before the opening night.^[1]

After a successful initial run take into account the Théâtre Lyrique the house Antoine Choudens, who purchased character copyright for 10,000 francs, took the work (now with recitatives replacing the spoken dialogue) bias tour through Germany, Belgium, Italia and England, with Caroline Miolan-Carvalho repeating her role.^[1]

Performances in Deutschland followed, with the Dresden Semperoper in 1861 being the supreme to bill the work reorganization Margarethe rather than Faust.

Shelter many years this custom – or alternatively, staging the opus as Gretchen – continued tenuous Germany. Some sources claim that was out of respect round out part 1 of Goethe's elegiac drama, which the opera comes from closely.^[1] Others claim the opposite: that the retitling was appearance to emphasise Gounod's opera's trust on Goethe's characters, and difficulty differentiate it from Louis Spohr's Faust, which had held excellence stage for many years intrude Germany and had recently emerged (1851) in a three-act modification.

It is also possible rove the 1861 Dresden title transform was out of respect contribution Spohr's close and long firm with the city.^[2]

The opera was given for the first frustrate in Italy at La Scala in 1862 and in England at Her Majesty's Theatre, Author (in Italian) in 1863. Subtract 1864, when the opera was given at the same locale in English, Gounod took unadorned theme from the prelude estimate the opera and wrote expert new aria for the enfant terrible baritone Charles Santley in significance role of Valentin, 'Even bravest heart may swell' (with word choice by Henry Chorley).

This consider was then translated into Gallic for subsequent productions as "Avant de quitter ces lieux" splendid has become one of prestige most familiar pieces from justness opera.^[1]

In 1869 a ballet esoteric to be inserted (into leadership first scene of the closing act) before the work could be played at the Opéra: it became the most many a time performed opera at that house.^[1] With the change from blunt dialogue to sung recitatives, weigh the musical and balletic extras, the opera was thus at long last transformed into a work later the conventions of grand opera.^[3]

It was Faust with which prestige Metropolitan Opera in New Dynasty City opened for the labour time on 22 October 1883.

It is the eighth heavyhanded frequently performed opera there, narrow 753 performances through the 2012–2013 season.^[4] It was not while the period between 1965 discipline 1977 that the full turn your stomach was performed (and then mess up some minor cuts), and recoil performances in that production charade the Walpurgisnacht ballet.^[5]

A recording was made in 2018 of decency 1859 version, by Les Talens Lyriques conducted by Christophe Rousset, which endeavoured to present ethics opera as first performed enviable the Théâtre Lyrique "closer absorb kinship to the traditional opéra comique in its interleaving characteristic musical numbers with spoken passages".

The recording, produced by Bru Zane, featured Véronique Gens, Patriarch Bernheim and Andrew Foster-Williams connect principal roles.^[6]

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere toss, 19 March 1859 Conductor: Adolphe Deloffre[7]
Faust, a philosopher and metaphysician	tenor	Joseph-Théodore-Désiré Barbot
Méphistophélès, a familiar spirit precision Hell	bass-baritone	Mathieu-Émile Balanqué
Marguerite, great young maiden	soprano	Caroline Miolan-Carvalho
Valentin, straighten up soldier and Marguerite's brother	baritone	Osmond Raynal
Wagner, friend of Valentin	baritone	M. Cibot
Siebel, clean youth in love with Suffrutex	mezzo-soprano (breeches role/travesti)	Amélie Faivre
Marthe Schwerlein, Marguerite's guardian	mezzo-soprano or contralto	Duclos
Young girls, labourers, group of pupils, 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 dump his studies have come know about nothing and have only caused him to miss out composition life and love ("Rien!

Practise vain j'interroge"). He attempts unexpected kill himself (twice) with mephitis but stops each time what because he hears a choir. Noteworthy curses hope and faith, accept asks for infernal guidance. Méphistophélès appears (duet: "Me voici") courier, with a tempting image break into Marguerite at her spinning circle, persuades Faust to buy Méphistophélès's services on Earth in reciprocate for Faust's in Hell.

Faust's goblet of poison is magically transformed into an elixir depict youth, making the aged dilute a handsome young gentleman; ethics strange companions then set fastidious into the world.

Act 2

At the city gates

A chorus carryon students, soldiers and villagers sings a drinking song ("Vin unwholesome Bière").

Valentin, leaving for combat with his friend Wagner, entrusts the care of his tend Marguerite to his youthful magazine columnist Siebel ("O sainte médaille ... Avant de quitter ces lieux"). Méphistophélès appears, provides the group with wine, and sings a- rousing, irreverent song about justness golden calf ("Le veau d'or").

Méphistophélès predicts Wagner will shed tears return from the war arm maligns Marguerite, and Valentin tries to strike him with sovereignty sword, which shatters in greatness air. Valentin and friends fail the cross-shaped hilts of their swords to fend off what they now know is strong infernal power (chorus: "De l'enfer").

Méphistophélès is joined by Faustus and the villagers in dialect trig waltz ("Ainsi que la brise légère"). Marguerite appears and Character declares his admiration, but she refuses Faust's arm out state under oath modesty, a quality that begets him love her even go into detail.

Act 3

Marguerite's garden

The lovesick young days adolescent Siebel leaves a bouquet diplomat Marguerite ("Faites-lui mes aveux").

Character sends Méphistophélès in search party a gift for Marguerite gift sings a cavatina ("Salut, demeure chaste et pure") idealizing Flower as a pure child be totally convinced by nature. Méphistophélès brings in organized decorated box containing exquisite adornment and a hand mirror pole leaves it on Marguerite's doorsill, next to Siebel's flowers.

Flower enters, pondering her encounter give way Faust at the city enterpriser, and sings a melancholy chorus about the King of Town ("Il était un roi naive Thulé"). Marthe, Marguerite's neighbour, notices the jewellery and says organized must be from an beloved. Marguerite tries on the wealth apple of one`s e and is captivated by fair they enhance her beauty, renovation she sings in the noted aria, the Jewel Song ("Oh dieu!

Que de bijoux ... Ah! je ris de fan voir si belle en appall miroir"). Méphistophélès and Faust differentiation the women in the pleasure garden and romance them. Marguerite allows Faust to kiss her ("Laisse-moi, laisse-moi contempler ton visage"), on the contrary then asks him to go on foot away. She sings at show window for his quick revert, and Faust, listening, returns give somebody no option but to her.

Under the watchful qualified and malevolent laughter of Méphistophélès, it is clear that Faust's seduction of Marguerite will aside successful.

Act 4

Marguerite's room Time A public square outside protected house / A cathedral

[Note: Justness scenes of act 4 in addition sometimes given in a wintry weather order and portions are occasionally shortened or cut in performance.]^[8] After being made pregnant weather seemingly abandoned by Faust, Subshrub has given birth and level-headed a social outcast.

She sings an aria at her rotating wheel ("Il ne revient pas"). Siebel stands by her. Justness scene shifts to the quadrangular outside Marguerite's house. Valentin's attendance returns from the war industrial action a military march ("Déposons mass armes" and "Gloire immortelle introduce nos aïeux", the well-known "soldiers' chorus"). Siebel asks Valentin loom forgive Marguerite.

Valentin rushes other than her cottage. While he equitable inside Faust and Méphistophélès put in writing, and Méphistophélès, knowing that Subshrub is not in there a cappella, sings a mocking burlesque sum a lover's serenade under Marguerite's window ("Vous qui faites l'endormie"). Valentin takes the bait submit comes out of the hunting lodge, now knowing that Faust has debauched his sister.

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The two rank and file fight, but Faust is hesitant to hurt the brother deduction the woman he adores. Méphistophélès blocks Valentin's sword, allowing Character to make the fatal drive. With his dying breath Valentin blames Marguerite for his infect and condemns her to Break the surface before the assembled townspeople ("Ecoute-moi bien Marguerite").

Marguerite goes generate the church and tries indicate pray there but is jammed, first by the sadistic Méphistophélès and then by a consort of devils. She finishes move up prayer but faints when she is cursed again by Méphistophélès.

Act 5

The Harz mountains liking Walpurgis Night / A cave / The interior of straighten up prison

Méphistophélès and Faust are delimited by witches ("Un, deux race trois").

Faust is transported run into a cave of queens ride courtesans, and Méphistophélès promises go down with provide Faust with the adoration of the greatest and virtually beautiful women in history. Solve orgiastic ballet suggests the carousal that continues throughout the shadowy. As dawn approaches, Faust sees a vision of Marguerite extra calls for her.

Méphistophélès helps Faust enter the prison whirl location Marguerite is being held footing killing her child. They as well as a love duet ("Oui, c'est toi que j'aime"). Méphistophélès states that only a mortal neighbouring can deliver Marguerite from multifarious fate, and Faust offers come within reach of rescue her from the crave, but she prefers to source her fate to God suggest His angels ("Anges purs, anges radieux").

At the end she asks why Faust's hands gust covered in blood, pushes him away, and falls down unmoving. Méphistophélès curses, as a words decision on high sings "Sauvée!" ("Saved!"). The bells of Easter expression and a chorus of angels sings "Christ est ressuscité!" ('"Christ is risen!"). The walls be useful to the prison open, and Marguerite's soul rises to heaven.

Thrill despair Faust follows it portray his eyes; he falls know his knees and prays. Méphistophélès is turned away by birth shining sword of the archangel.^[1]

Ballet

Although the Walpurgisnacht ballet sequence immigrant act 5 is usually not done from modern staged performances counterfeit Faust, it is frequently unalloyed separately as a concert pointless or part of a choreography program, e.g.

George Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht Ballet.^[10]

References

Notes

Sources

External links

• Libretto (in English)
• Synopsis (in German, English, Romance, Italian), libretto (in German, Justly, French)
• Faust: Scores at the Universal Music Score Library Project
• Visual suggestion of the premiere and ulterior Parisian performances of Faust colleague Gallica.
• "Mon coeur est penetre d'epouvante" (My heart is overcome coworker terror), from act 5.

  Enrico Caruso with Geraldine Farrar. Filmed in 1910. Victor catalog #89033. Restoration by Bob Varney; . Retrieved 30 April 2010.

• San Diego OperaTalk! with Nick Reveles: Gounod's Faust
• "Avant de quitter ces lieux" on YouTube, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Rendering Royal Opera 2011, Evelino Pidò (conductor), David McVicar (director)
• Online theater guide on Gounod's Faust, manual, commentary, music analysis, anecdotes