#poor poor siébel

[shredsandpatches]

Congrats on watching the 2004 Faust! Bryn Terfel's Mephisto has to be one of the best acting efforts in any opera recording ever, to me. Mildly unusual take on the character, but just honestly 100% perfect in every scene. He's so ugly! And he's so disappointed! And he's evil! Performance of all time. And I agree the serenade/duel scene is fantastic.

Oh their Marguerite also has the rare combo of being super beautiful and sounding super good. I love her. Alagna Faust also not bad, I like how he's so small. And the cartwheel of course.

And the ballet dancers 😭😭😭 And how the devils come out to cheer / mock the patriotism during the soldiers' chorus. That's like borderline poignant.

Well this was really more of a comment than a question but I just love that recording.

(I like Keenlyside and I like Valentin but Keenlyside Valentin is meh to me) (Degout Valentin is where it's at)

Okay I gotta admit: I actually thought Bryn Terfel's Mephistopheles was really hot. In a creepy and sweaty way, certainly, but also, really hot. Maybe I'm weird? (Or a Marthe kinnie.) He absolutely rocked that ballgown. And we are, at any rate, in complete agreement that he was AWESOME. THAT SOUL-PIERCING STARE. I honestly saw a lot of Marlowe's Mephistopheles in his take on the role--that very grim quality he brings to it, and the touches of melancholy at the beginning and end. Maybe the Marlowe vibes are a British thing? Really interesting contrast with Erwin Schrott's Mephistopheles, who brings a lot more of the traditional sass (and who also absolutely rocks the ballgown, of course). Terfel's version would never do the dork dance that Schrott does at the end of "Le veau d'or" (NB. I love the dork dance.) I also thought the 2004 had more homoeroticism than the 2019 and of course I'm always gonna be on board for that.

Angela Gheorghiu is pretty much always great, I agree. She was still married to Roberto Alagna when they did this and real-life couples don't always have chemistry in performance but they did here--obviously they are playing a disaster couple but you still need to have chemistry. I'm not a huge fan of Alagna's singing generally (too reedy and scoopy for me) but his acting and especially his physical acting was really good. (Another interesting contrast: Michael Fabiano in 2019 reads a lot younger than Alagna does in 2004 even though the relative ages at the time of the performances are not that far apart: 35 vs. 41. They were both younger than I am now! I guess Fabiano is just more baby-faced but their duets with their respective Marguerites read pretty differently.)

Also agreed about the soldiers' chorus--given the setting in Belle Epoque (and the fact that I wrote a giant term paper about it in high school) it gives the impression that the war they're coming back from is the Franco-Prussian (even though the localization is not that literal/specific) in which case, of course, they'd be coming back from getting pasted.

ANYWAY. YES. Love this production a lot, both versions. Oh, I also thought that although the DVD quality wasn't as clear (it predates HD I think, or at least HD being common), some of the scenes were filmed in a way that makes the narrative a little clearer -- the Walpurgisnacht ballet in particular. I thought the actual dancing was stronger in 2019 but the 2004 filming put you closer to it. (Also you got a better sense of Faust's reactions; in the 2019 you could hardly see him.)

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Faust (Buenos Aires, 2016): Reactions, Part I

sorry it took so long on the turnaround everyone: work and life got a little busier than i planned last week lol

that’s a big chalkboard

depressed santa

psa within the unrelated psa that is this opera: if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, PLEASE reach out for help. you are loved. life will get better.

addendum to the psa (that IS related to the psa of the opera): do NOT, however, call on satan if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

this is the end of the psa (for now)

satan just takin’ a little stroll through the audience!

how are you doubting his power when he just magically showed up right after YOU invoked him

look, he’s a tenor, he HAS to want the soprano(s) first

okay that’s actually kinda clever: méphisto shows faust the vision but we the audience are not privy to it

poof! look! a horny young tenor!

“corrupting a soul! ooh! this will be fun!”

nice chorus costume palette!!!

girls and fortresses are NOT the same nor should they be treated the same

also: why is the choreography PAINFULLY giving “high school musical theatre”

intimidation

giving siébel a sweater vest and glasses is Objectively Correct

“and now let us take off our hats for the Baritone National Anthem”

ONE OF THE GREATEST VILLAIN BANGERS RIGHT HERE, EVERYONE

what are you doing to my poor boy

tfw the new guy at the party is acting like a creepy stalker

why is it a gun? how’s he gonna ward off méphisto with that?

or that works too

well at least he nabbed a couple of méphisto’s assistants i guess

okay, so a bit of a tangent here:

i’ve never read the goethe but in boito’s mefistofele, the whole shtick is that mefistofele is trying to steal away a soul from god and that soul is faust’s. but here méphisto is talkin’ about marguerite and how SHE is directly protected by god, and of course bad boy here is gonna corrupt HER as well over the next few acts.

so a) is this idea of “satan trying and ultimately failing to steal souls held in particularly high esteem by god just for the satisfaction of getting one over on god” a theme in the goethe and b) did gounod/his librettists (“savannah the opera is not based directly on goethe” i know) and boito just put it in their operas but used opposite characters to do so?

anyway back to the opera

she pwetty (also what is that snack)

get ‘im

“you don’t have to respect her boundaries or choices, y’know” stop iiiiiiiiiiiiiit

long live the party! (also love the demon assistants closing the curtains lol)

[monotonous-minutia]

this child must be protected at all costs

[2700fstreet]

OPERA / 2018-2019

FAUST

STUDENT GUIDE

Washington National Opera Open Rehearsal Music by Charles Gounod Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré Based on Faust: Part I by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

School show: March 13

Teacher and Parent Guide: Faust

Who’s Who

Main Characters

Faust, a learned scholar (tenor—the highest male voice) Méphistophélès, a demon (bass—the lowest male voice) Marguerite, a young woman (soprano—the highest female voice) Valentin, her brother, a soldier (baritone—a middle-range male voice) Siébel, a young man (mezzo-soprano—a middle-range female* voice) Marthe, Marguerite’s neighbor (mezzo-soprano)

*It’s common for opera composers to assign young male roles to female singers.

So, What’s Going On?

The sixteenth-century Germanic countryside.

Poor Dr. Faust (pronounced FOUST). He’s been a scholar for decades but has now become an old man with nothing to show for it. He doesn’t really know anything. He doesn’t really feel anything. He has no idea what the meaning of life is. And he’s entirely alone.

Determined not to wait for death, he attempts suicide only to be distracted by a chorus singing God’s praises outside his door. Annoyed, Faust cries out that God can do nothing for him. Faust wants his youth back. He wants love and affection. God can’t give him any of those things.

So Faust calls upon the Devil instead (what a brilliant idea).

Immediately, the Devil appears in the form of Méphistophélès (meff-uh-STOFF-uh-lezz), a demon disguised as a wealthy gentleman. Faust explains he wants a chance to be young again (with maybe the added bonus of a few girlfriends), and Méphistophélès proposes a deal: all the youth and ladies Faust could ever want in exchange for his immortal soul.

Faust hesitates, but when Méphistophélès tempts him with a vision of a breathtaking woman who lives close by, he’s sold. The two sign a contract and Faust is transformed into a dashing young man, ready to hit the streets.

Take a listen…

Faust makes the spectacularly dubious decision to invoke the Devil. Listen for Faust’s breathless, agitated phrases. Think about how his outbursts compare to Méphistophélès’s smoother, more even-keeled melodies and deeper tone of voice. (Bonus: Check out the “word-painting” technique used when Méphistophélès stretches his voice to its lowest extremes as he sings about the hellish place “là-bas,” or “downstairs”).

In the nearby village, a young soldier named Valentin (vahl-ohn-TAEHN) prepares to go to war. Worried that his sister, Marguerite (mahr-geh-REE-tuh), will be left un-chaperoned, Valentin asks his young friend Siébel (syeh-BELL) to watch over her.

Take a listen…

Valentin says a small prayer that his sister will be kept safe (“Avant de quitter ces lieux,” or “Before I leave this place”). Listen for how this aria (solo song) is broken up into three sections: 1) a heartfelt plea with a plaintive melody, 2) a military march as Valentin preps himself for battle, and 3) a repeat of the first section with a few minor tweaks.

But soon, Méphistophélès arrives to stir up trouble.

Take a listen…

In his aria “Le veau d’or” (“The golden calf”), Méphistophélès conjures up the image of a devilish idol that inspires Satanic dances and possesses the power to bring down the human race. Listen for the cymbal crashes and fluttering wind instruments (think piccolos, flutes, oboes, and clarinets) that give Méphistophélès’s song the sense it’s whipping into a devilish frenzy.

After singing a song to entertain the locals, Méphistophélès teases Valentin and his friends by reading palms and predicting not-so-nice futures. The demon then proposes a toast in honor of Marguerite. Shocked that Méphistophélès knows his sister’s name, and sensing this stranger is up to no good, Valentin draws his weapon—only to have it shatter in midair. Valentin calls on God for protection from evil as the crowd disperses.

Later, Faust urges Méphistophélès to introduce him to the maiden from the magical vision. Méphistophélès cautions that this particular lady may not be interested in Faust’s advances—she is, after all, none other than (surprise!) Marguerite, Valentin’s pious sister. Still, Faust demands to see her, and Méphistophélès orchestrates a “meet cute.” Faust turns on the charm, but Marguerite shies away.

Attempting to speed the love affair along, Méphistophélès leads Faust to Marguerite’s house and leaves her a basket of jewels, hoping they’ll help Marguerite look more favorably on her new suitor.

And—boom—the gamble pays off.

As Faust and Méphistophélès hide nearby, Marguerite—who’s been daydreaming about her brief encounter with a handsome stranger (Faust)—uncovers the jewels and treats herself to a luxurious “makeover.”

Take a listen…

Marguerite checks out her new look in her aria, “Ah! Je ris de ma voir si belle” (which roughly translates as: “I’m laughing at how pretty I look”). Notice how she sings several notes in rapid succession (a style known a coloratura), to give the effect that she’s literally laughing.

Her neighbor, Marthe (MAHR-tuh) interrupts her, and Marguerite is slightly embarrassed, but not half as embarrassed as she is when Faust arrives, complimenting her beauty and proclaiming his undying love.

Méphistophélès distracts Marthe, leaving Faust and Marguerite alone. In no time at all, Marguerite reveals she’s just as smitten with Faust as he is with her, despite her concern that a whirlwind romance could bring her everlasting shame. (Marguerite may be innocent but she’s not stupid; she knows the other villagers won’t look kindly on an unwed woman who spends all her time with a young man). And yet, with a little coaxing from Méphistophélès, Marguerite agrees to be Faust’s girl forever.

Several months later.

With no recent word from Faust, Marguerite sits nervously at her spinning wheel. Siébel arrives to keep her company, but his attempts to comfort her are in vain: She’s carrying Faust’s child, and there’s no ring on her finger.

At this (very) inopportune moment, Valentin and his army come marching home from war. Having emerged victorious, Valentin is ready to celebrate with Marguerite, but soon discovers something’s gone very wrong in his absence (thanks for blabbing, Siébel).

As Valentin goes off to confront his “disgraced” sister, Faust and Méphistophélès turn up at Marguerite’s door hoping to smooth things over, as Faust has been feeling remorseful about leaving his former love.

But everything goes to hell (see what we did there?) when Valentin bursts on the scene, demanding someone take responsibility for his sister’s situation. A fight breaks out and Faust ends up stabbing Valentin. Faust and Méphistophélès disappear just as some villagers gather to see about the commotion. Marguerite rushes to her brother’s side, but Valentin pushes her away, claiming his impending death is all her fault and cursing her as he collapses on the ground.

With nowhere to turn, Marguerite goes to church to pray. Once there, however, an unforgiving voice (which sounds mysteriously like Méphistophélès) declares that her sins have damned her forever.

Sometime later, Marguerite has landed in prison. Her brother’s death and Faust’s abandonment have driven her mad, horrifically causing her to murder her newborn child.

Convinced he’s loved Marguerite all along and that the trials and tribulations of the past few months were all the Devil’s doing (really, dude?), Faust persuades Méphistophélès to help him break Marguerite free.

But will Faust’s newfound sense of commitment be enough to save Marguerite before it’s too late? Can his love rescue her from execution? Will they both be able to escape Méphistophélès’s eternal damnation?

Good to Know

By the time Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (GEUH-tuh, 1749-1832) began writing the epic saga that would inspire Charles Gounod’s (goo-NOH, 1818-1893) opera, the legend of Faust—the ultimate “deal with the Devil” story—was already a few centuries old. Indeed, German texts from the sixteenth century reveal “Doctor Faust” may have actually been a real doctor or magician who reportedly died a very strange, very gruesome death. The doctor’s bizarre bio eventually made its way into Germanic folklore (way before the days of the Brothers Grimm), where it was transformed into a cautionary tale about the dangers of asking too much out of life.

Faust would later be immortalized by Shakespearean contemporary Christopher Marlowe in his play Doctor Faustus, and would enjoy even greater fame nearly two hundred years later thanks to Goethe’s massive two-part drama (a work that took him nearly 60 years to finish). Goethe’s version came with a twist, however: He was the first to introduce the character of Margaret (also known as “Gretchen” and referred to as “Marguerite” in French), the young woman Faust seduces and then discards.

It was Marguerite’s side of the story that proved so moving it went on to influence a long list of nineteenth-century Romantic artists, including powerhouse composer Hector Berlioz (who wrote his own Faustian opera, La damnation de Faust), song master Franz Schubert, and Gounod, who became a fan of the Goethe story during a trip to Rome—a place filled with images of angels and demons.

Faust’s tale continued to spark imaginations well into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (think of movies like Damn Yankees and Bedazzled or more recent TV series like Lucifer or Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and the term “Faustian bargain” has become a universal phrase meaning “to sell one’s soul.” The original Doctor Faust may have met a tragic end, but his legacy isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Learning to Listen

Going to the opera means you’ll have to start listening in a new way if you want to take in everything the music and the voices have to offer. And guess what? This is less difficult than it sounds.

Try thinking of opera singing as its own type of language or speech. When we’re speaking, our emotions can change the way our voices sound from moment to moment—and one word can have a thousand different meanings depending on how we say it (loudly, softly, quickly, slowly, with a high- or low-pitched voice, etc.). The same is true for the characters in an opera. Each voice you’ll hear will have its own special flavor depending on who the character is and what he or she is saying.

Marguerite, for example, is an innocent and sensitive young woman. Her voice, therefore, will be on the higher side (to provide a clue that she’s youthful and inexperienced) and will occasionally soar above the orchestra with intense emotion (such as when she raises her voice in prayer or when she pleads with Faust not to break her heart).

Faust, on the other hand, spends much of the opera as a young man with a tremendous appetite for fun. His bright tenor voice (a vocal type associated with heroes) symbolizes his youthful, reckless, and passionate personality. His melodies often pour out in short, explosive musical phrases that are meant to remind us of his lust for life.

When in doubt about how a character is feeling or what they’re thinking, always pay close attention to exactly how they sound. (The instruments in the orchestra will give you hints as well.)

Check This Out…

Gounod frequently uses musical foreshadowing to signal his listeners as to where the story of Faust is headed. Can you identify any specific moments in which the music provides some dramatic spoilers? (Hint: Listen carefully to the overture, Mephistophélès’s entrance, and Marguerite and Faust’s tortured love duet.) On the other hand, are there any scenes in which the music fakes you out by evoking the wrong mood? (Hint: Listen for the upbeat victory march that plays when Valentin returns home.)

Watch for the ways in which the costume, lighting, and makeup designs help give you hints about each character’s status and their relationship to those around them. Do the costumes and lighting provide you with any clues regarding the characters’ personalities? Can you tell who’s “good” and who’s “evil” based on what they wear or what colors they’re associated with? Do you notice any shifts in how the characters look as their stories progress or their motivations change?

Marguerite’s spinning wheel aria (“Il ne revient pas,” or “He hasn’t returned”) was inspired by an actual poetic “song” in Goethe’s text, and there are many other musical settings of the exact same scene. Why do you think this moment gets such special attention in so many different versions of Faust? What do you think the spinning wheel might symbolize? (For extra points: How would you know Marguerite’s aria features a spinning wheel even if you closed your eyes? What instrumental sounds are used to create a spinning effect?)

Think About This…

In opera, supernatural and/or extremely powerful figures such as gods, demons, kings, or ghosts are usually sung by basses. Why do you think composers gravitate toward lower male voices when writing these characters? Do you feel the bass sound suits Mephistophélès? How so?

The chorus plays an essential role in Faust. Why do you think Gounod opted to feature such a large group of men and women in so many scenes? What function do they serve? Can you recall any other theatrical or literary works in which a chorus is used in a similar way?

In Goethe’s homeland of Germany, Gounod’s Faust is sometimes called Marguerite instead. Why do you feel that might be? Who do you think is the true hero of the opera? Who’s the true villain? (Consider this: Mephistophélès may be a demon, but are his crimes any worse than Faust’s? Or Valentin’s? Or anyone else’s?)

Take Action: Social Serenade

Though Gounod’s opera could be looked at as one big ethical fable, many of its themes and lessons come packaged in folk songs or serenades—miniature fables told by the characters as they sing of hypothetical stories that mirror their own. These include Marguerite’s ballad of the King of Thule (who dies for love), Mephistophélès’s satirical tune about a woman named Catherine (who must resist her boyfriend’s advances until marriage), and the soldier’s brief song about a cat and a rat (or a predator and his prey).

Gounod’s not alone in using this trick. You probably know this already, but many artists—poets, painters, songwriters, you name it— choose to bury significant social messages in made-up tales about distant historical figures or even non-human characters (think Aesop) who speak in simple phrases or easy rhymes.

Think you’re up for trying out the same tactic in the real world?

Pick a news story or social cause that concerns you (anything from politics, to polar bears, to the potholes on your local highway) and take a shot at weaving a fake story around this theme. Try and present your tale in small sections or stanzas (like a serenade) and, if you feel like it, see if you can use a rhyming scheme as well. Most importantly, be sure to add a clever moral at the end if you can. (If you want to go the extra mile, write a tune to accompany your poetic “song.”)

If you’re comfortable, share the finished product with family and friends, or submit it to a local newspaper or regional poetry competition. See if your readers can uncover your hidden message and/or guess which real-life story inspired your sneaky serenade.

EXPLORE MORE

Go even deeper with the Faust Extras.

-

All photos by Lynn Lane for Houston Grand Opera.

Writer: Eleni Hagen

Content Editor: Lisa Resnick

Logistics Coordination: Katherine Huseman

Producer and Program Manager: Tiffany A. Bryant

-

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

Deborah F. Rutter President

Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education

Timothy O’Leary General Director

Francesca Zambello Artistic Director

Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO.

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

WNO's Presenting Sponsor

This performance is made possible by the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

© 2019 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

[monotonous-minutia]

Marguerite using Siébel’s flowers to find out if Faust loves her is a pretty big ouch moment for me

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

headcanon that's really sad: Siébel almost idolizes Valentin. he wants to be just like him—as brave, as strong, as principled, as good-hearted as him.

then Valentin goes and curses Marguérite in front of everyone and that is just completely shattered. Siébel can't abide by Valentin cursing his dream girlfriend and best friend, whom he knows is a genuinely good person and did not deserve any of this shit, who was lured in and then deserted.

if Siébel can't even trust Valentin anymore and Marguérite loses her mind, drowns her baby, and dies a horrible death, then who in the world can he trust? what can he trust? what can he believe in? can he ever recover from that secondhand trauma?

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

WHY DID YOU FORCE SIÉBEL TO BE THE DUEL REFEREE

[monotonous-minutia]

things that Actually Happen to Siébel in Carré’s play (upon which the Gounod opera Faust is based):

-He’s Dr. Faust’s student. This is mentioned in the opera, but elaborated upon much more in the play, because it’s a play and there’s room for that.

-Faust calls Siébel into his office in the first scene and tried to ask for romantic advice and advice about the world in general. Also asks him some very personal questions about life. It’s more than a little creepy. This is also how Faust finds out about Marguerite which doubles the creepiness factor.

-Tableau II (he breaks it into scenes within tableaus within acts, it’s kinda confusing but I love him anyway) opens with Siébel asleep in the tavern with his nose on the table, per the stage directions.

-Méphistophélès REALLY has it out for Siébel. He doesn’t just make his flowers wilt, he gives him nightmares about wasps and hallucinations that giant black dogs are chasing him.

-He also puts Siébel in a tree. Like literally puts him inside of the tree to get him out of Faust’s way. Apparently this also gives Siébel nightmares because he comes out thinking he’d been dreaming about being slowly suffocated.

-he breaks my heart a million times because he is absolutely, hopelessly in love with Margurite, to the point that literally everyone assumes they’re going to get married. Even though Valentine gave him his blessing, Siébel says he’s not going to ask Marguerite until basically she proposes first, because he doesn’t want to pressure her. When Faust abandons Marguerite, Siébel is basically the only person who will talk with her, but when they talk, all she wants to talk about is Faust. Every time she stops and apologizes for talking about the man she loves in front of the one who loves her, Siébel says “Don’t worry about me. Let’s talk about you.” Because he loves Marguerite so much that he deals with her talking about his romantic rival and devotes 100% of his energy to making sure she is okay and trying to help her solve her problems, even if doing so ends up with them not being together.

[monotonous-minutia]

Siébel proving he can be one of the guys

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Faust (Paris, 2021): Reactions, Part III

And now, on to the finish!

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Siébel is accompanying Marguerite to the doctor’s office like a great friend <3

“are you the happy father-to-be?”

“well...no. it’s complicated.”

Siébel is so encouraging and adorable :)

:( she deserves SO MUCH BETTER

“uh, ma’am, I hate to break it to you but I am not a licensed therapist”

“then again, ma’am, you do have a lovely voice and you’re very emotional so continue as you please”

oh wow how are they doing that

OH SHIT THE BABY HAS TINY DEVIL HORNS

“what did you DO to make her cry?!”

have fun trying to kill Satan, who was the one who knocked her up here

we all need a friend like Siébel and also THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY INCLUDING THIS ARIA

she’s actually crying :(

awww he’s trying (but it’s not working)

poor child with righteous anger deserves better

wait this is supposed to be the church scene why are we in the Paris Métro

okay so she’s traveling from her appointment, where she found out that (though she doesn’t know the father isn’t who she thinks it is) her baby has devil’s horns and now she is Thinking About This And How It Could Connect To Religion

okay... I guess that could work...

(sorry this is my favorite scene in the opera)

oh look who else is in the same car

oh no now they’re alone in the car together

oh no I just realized that if at all, she has only briefly seen him (because she was blindfolded when-- let’s call a spade a spade here-- he raped her) and would thus likely not recognize him so if she even sees him at all, she’d think he was just some rando who knew about her life (creepy) and was lecturing her about her “impurity” (gag me) and not, you know, the guy who brought this upon her IN THE FIRST PLACE

“wait ARE MY HEADPHONES POSSESSED”

WOW they are both excellent in this

he finally left the car so now she can say what she needs to say

once again, AMAZING projection work

and this is gonna sound so stupid but I have to say it: even though this is, ahem, not set in a church, this performance was...incredibly musically AND dramatically sound IMO

Siébel, who is presumably sick and tired of all this shit and just wants his friends to be happy: *stares directly into the camera like he’s on The Office*

welcome back and also uh-oh

SOLDIERS’ CHORUS TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME

“yeah!!! we can play pickup basketball together again!!!”

“well, we lost one of our own rip Wagner”

noooooooooooooooooooooooo

well look who’s back

that will not help but it is a fabulous voice so I’ll give you that

“hey, I’m ba-- oh gosh, sis, are you okay? lemme help you--”

OH NO OH NO OH NO

“is that...is that...oh God...is that...”

DON’T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT HITTING HER (he didn’t)

this is such a creepy but slaptastic song

“DID YOU SERIOUSLY BECOME A SUGAR BABY WHILE I WAS GONE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE”

once again: this happened to your SISTER not YOU 

way to throw him under the bus for something that (in this production) you did

this trio SLAPS and so do the singers

you’re going to regret that life choice

Valentin has a knife while Faust is unarmed in an inversion of the recent trend of disarming Valentin for the duel

and the trope was promptly un-inverted because Faust managed to get the knife and stab Valentin with it :(

omg he took Valentin’s cowboy hat and gave it to Faust I HAVE to chuckle a little at that

oh shit that’s a lot of blood

no :(

OKAY NO THAT IS ABSOLUTELY UNCALLED FOR VALENTIN WHAT THE FUCK

she deserves SO MUCH BETTER

the chorus is right also that is a LOT of blood

he is extremely good at dying onstage

:( :( :(

Siébel tried to run inside after Marguerite :(

oh SIÉBEL

this effect is back!!!

his ‘empire’: *is the airspace over Notre Dame Cathedral*

I always forget how cool this music is although given the remaining time in this video I don’t think we’re getting the ballet music :(

OH MY GOD

okay, I am not normally the type of person who likes to be prudish about potentially controversial content in productions because I do try to have an open mind, but this is just INSENSITIVE AND UNNECESSARY.

and the director was expecting to show this to full-house audiences in Paris, the city in which this happened, less than two years after this happened??? buddy, that smacks of major insensitivity to me. not a good look.

steal the horses, go on a joyride

PLEASE CAN WE STOP KILLING THE BABY ONSTAGE

“ah, je pleure de me voir si terrible en ce miroir...”

SHE DESERVES BETTER

hey, remember in Act 1 when you hesitated about whether to go with Satan or not? you should have kept hesitating forever

THE KERMESSE MUSIC *cries*

Old Faust is mouthing the words :(

HERE WE GO TRIO TIME

she’s trying her best and sounding FABULOUS

WELL DONE BRAVI

“oh wtf you were actually an old man all along?!”

:( :( :( :( :(

AND THERE IT IS :)

SIÉBEL IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOD YES YOU GO SIÉBEL

“YOU DON’T GET TO MESS WITH MY FRIENDS”

omg Méphistophélès told the demons to let Marguerite go I’M CRYING

WAIT WHAT NO

what is HAPPENING

I AM NOT FUCKING OKAY

THAT WAS NOT OKAY I AM NOW LEGITIMATELY SCREAMING I DO NOT CARE THAT IT IS THREE THIRTY AM

anyway this was great but also VERY WTF

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Faust (Royal Opera House, 2004): Reactions, Part I

I did watch the whole opera last night but yours truly was too out of it to be able to write up semicoherent reactions, so here we go!

devilishly handsome, sir

this set is an ICONIC CLASSIC

Area Tenor Wants To Die

okay these two are cute

you’re going to regret this

instant feedback

dude he just showed up in a burst of smoke and flame immediately after you called him doubting his power is...dumb, to say the least

(but then again. you are a tenor.)

okay yes even with the awful wig I would fall for Gheorghiu immediately too

poof! look! a horny young tenor!

I can’t even cartwheel so mad respect

this duet BOPS and these two are FANTASTIC

his FACE I can’t

stop beating up the dummy (?)

Mad Acrobatic Skills Continue

SIÉBEL!!! ❤️

how much do you wanna bet the flag-waving guy used this as his audition tape for Les Mis?

HIM *dies*

Area Baritone Nails The Big Aria

meanwhile, Area Makeup and Wig Department People need to reconsider their life choices

Valentin just wants to chill out and have a drink at the side and tbh I respect that

“I hope I don’t bore anyone” lololol

*breaks out one of the biggest Villain Bops in all opera*

absolute MASTER

pick on someone your own size

tfw you’re just going to a nice city fair and then Satan shows up

“May I die if I don’t kill you right now!”

...interesting choice of things to say, sir

Valentin is a Good Catholic Boy TM

“you do realize that’s not going to work so easy, right?”

aww look at them

HERE WE GO!!!

these dancers are amazing

aww poor Siébel

and there it is

what a shot!

Vive le plaisir!

The rest will come at some point later today because a) I have to get ready for class and b) I want to watch and screencap the Met’s Don Giovanni before it gets taken down so that’s what I’ll be doing during my long break in the middle of the day

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Faust (Met, 2011): Reactions, Part I

Who wants to make bets on whether/when I start ugly-crying??? (I don’t do bets though.)

damn, what happened to you?

still a beautiful man

and she’s so prettyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

his VOICE. it’s just so...WARM AND DARK AND I LOVE IT

work it girl *heart eyes*

not to plagiarize @tatyana-dreaming​, but sir, PLEASE put the beaker down did no one ever teach you basic lab safety

Area Tenor Is Having A Majorly Difficult Time With Life

AND THERE IT IS

the fact that Faust doubts the magic powers of this random dude who magically showed up in his office with literal fire...

a horrible deal also their FACES

the vision of Marguerite melting in fire is a very clever choice also dude no don’t drink from the beaker

poof! look! a horny young tenor!

a marvelous duo singing a marvelous duet (can you BELIEVE these two dominated in Parsifal just a year or so later?)

I love these fast clouds

this BOPS

CHILD

meanwhile, it will no longer protect your sister, so...

oh, child, you can try... (and of course, Michèle is *heart eyes forever*)

about that

‘we’ll see about THAT, Hopeless Gullible Catholic Soldier Baritone Boy’

great aria, great performance

you could sing the phone book and it wouldn’t bore anyone, René, but you also have the advantage of arguably opera’s single biggest villain banger

SEE??? IT HARD SLAPS AND RENÉ IS EXCELLENT

way to kill the vibe

this trick is COOL

that is...not what that line means (and I say that because I always find the original line so deliciously ironic and this translation just messes it up)

whoa

Valentin should perhaps consider a career as a ghost/demon hunter *shrug*

Siébel is just DELIGHTED

his sheer POISE

I love her

so full of hope

“I’m glad he found a dance partner”

Siébel: “Marguerite send help”

I wouldn’t be able to resist

but she is so good for her

(also you ARE lovely)

That Iconic Diminuendo takes my breath away every time

I love this waltz so much and the dancers are stunning

aww poor Siébel, watching his dreams get crushed in real time :(

almost too cute. almost.

but she’s not ready, which is a good thing

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

pretty sure I've asked you this before, but since you've seen more operas/opera productions since, what's an opera you've seen more than one production of, and what are your thoughts on those productions? What do you like about some over others? How do you feel about the various casts? Do certain production concepts work better than others, and why?

Okay, so I’m gonna go ahead and do what I did when I hijacked your trouser role quiz post (sorry about that) to talk about a bunch of different Faust productions except I’m gonna talk about them MORE. so INCOMING:

Vienna 1985: first full production I ever watched, so it has that sentimental value. the biggest no for me is that the director decided to make Marguerite a nun??? (she gets kicked out after Act III) the production is set somewhere in the French countryside during the Napoleonic Wars and it actually works pretty well overall! not a fan of the extraneous ballet dancers, though. but there’s some really great stageplay and special effects (the golden calf is a sight to behold, and the church scene is incredibly creepy and I like it even though once again, LOSE THE EXTRANEOUS DANCERS PLEASE). the cast is really fantastic. Raimondi is still one of my favorite Méphistophélès(es?). even in the nun costume, Benackova is an amazing Marguerite. all in all: good show. lose the dancers. also the apotheosis is creeeeeeeeeeepy.

Paris 1975: the video quality was...kinda bad, not helped by the fact that the production is somewhat dingy. I like the vibe it was trying to go for but it just didn’t really work. the ROH did it way better. cast is excellent: Gedda is Gedda, Freni is Freni, Soyer is Soyer (and pulls off a baby blue suit at one point which is itself no mean feat). I like it! not my favorite though.

Geneva 1995: not great video quality either but pretty pretty PRETTY. the garden is particularly wonderful. also tries to go for the same vibe as Paris/later ROH and falls short of the latter. Samuel Ramey IS Méphistophélès. rest of the cast is wonderful too. not sure if there are any other Ramey Faust productions, but even if there are, must watch just for him.

And now for the ongoing ROH production saga:

Three broadcasts, all of the same wonderful McVicar Belle Époque Paris production. (This was the setting that both Paris and Geneva tried to get right but simply didn’t measure up). It’s a lot of fun, start to finish. Great visuals, great choreography (we get the ballet! and well done at that), great costumes (the Walpurgisnacht costume for Méphistophélès is iconic). No wonder it’s a company hit. Also this is just me personally but I fall hook, line, and sinker for any over-the-top Belle Époque aesthetic.

ROH 2004: Alagna, Gheorghiu, Terfel, Keenlyside, Koch. What more could you ask for? They’re all great (even if, sorry, that blonde wig is ugly as sin. just let Gheorghiu use her normal hair or at least a wig like it and stop trying to associate blondeness with pure heroines. end mini-rant). this is the first of 3 Alagna Fausts I’ve seen and he’s great in all of them. Gheorghiu is her amazing self, so is Terfel, Keenlyside is pure luxury casting in a pretty small role, and in Koch you see the beginning of a very nice career. the OG. it’s great.

ROH 2011: Gheorghiu is back! I liked her more in the 2004 outing tbh but she still does very well. Grigolo is Grigolo—I actually do like his voice but a) not as good as Alagna IMO and b) he’s a total creep/milker (ironically, it was a different run of this exact production that caused everyone to realize that and in turn was a pretty big scandal last year but I digress). Pape is glorious—this is one of 3 Fausts I’ve seen him do and he’s also great in all of them. Dima is even more of a luxury casting and Losièr is her utterly adorable self as Siébel.

ROH 2019: probably my least favorite overall cast of the three but still very, very good. they have tough competition. Fabiano and Schrott are my favorites in the cast (and not to be shallow but Schrott by far does the best job of pulling off the iconic Walpurgisnacht outfit IMO). Lungu is also very good (although we seriously need to lose the wig because it flatters no one). Dégoût and Fontanals-Simmons make good work of their roles.

I’m still mad that no one filmed the 2014 Calleja/Yoncheva (no wig!)/Terfel/Keenlyside/Pokupić revival.

Orange 2008: Once again a Belle Époque look, once again well-done overall. I have conflicting feelings about using such a huge space and huge forces: it feels right for some scenes but feels completely wrong for others. the effects and sets the space allows for, however, are very impressive. Siébel is sung by a tenor which is unforgivable (also the amount of abuse the poor child goes through...give him a hug). Alagna and Pape are both back and glorious. Inva Mula isn’t my favorite Marguerite but she does perfectly well. Jean-François Lapointe is a very good Valentin. not sure how I feel about this one overall.

Met 2011: the concept is kinda wonky to me (is it a flashback? is it him actually becoming young again? who knows?) and the visuals can often be off-putting, but it sufficiently works as a concept overall and makes for great theater. Pape once again proves how devilishly awesome he can be, Kaufmann is wonderful as always and I stg he MUST have actually sold his soul to the devil for That One Diminuendo (you know the one), and Poplavskaya is nothing short of wrenching. Losièr is yet again a completely precious Siébel and Russell Braun may not exactly be luxury casting but he still holds his own in a great cast.

Paris 2011: what??? the??? everloving??? hell??? is??? going??? on??? here??? seriously, this production (especially the first act and the final scene) is nothing short of bonkers. where are we??? when are we??? it’s impossible to tell. which is a crying shame because the aesthetic itself is good (a very impressive unit set) and the cast is excellent. Alagna and Mula team up again with great results, Paul Gay is a surprisingly good Méphistophélès (I had only seen him in one other production before and wasn’t a huge fan), Tassis Christoyannis is great (although I pity the nonsense stage business he has to do), Angelique Noldus is cute as cute can be, and even the smaller roles are well-cast (Marie-Ange Todorovitch and Alexandre Duhamel!). the production is just...what even, though. 

I hope that answers it!

[monotonous-minutia]

Faust watch part 2

final three acts!

-still not my favorite for Siébel purposes but at least McVicar is nicer to him than most of the trouser roles he works with -Alagna is so good how -the quartet here is always so funny like it has no right to be but it is and it's kind of a nice reprieve from the tragic parts -Gheorghiu is so cute (but that wig is another matter) -oh at least Marguerite didn't use Siébel's flowers to play "he loves me/loves me not" -this duet is so pretty it's heartbreaking -the set for this scene is honestly so pretty -ugh that bit with the stairs and the window is so sweet it makes me wish this was a rom-com after all -annoyed about the parts they cut out but OMG this church scene is so chilling -oh my gosh having Faust playing the organ at the end of the church scene that's harsh - I can't get over how well the soldier's chorus captures both the triumph and the tragedy of this scene -at least Valentin is nice to Siébel (at first anyway) -okay Méphistophélès is definitely gay and I can't tell if that's amusing or disturbing -probably my favorite staging of Valentin's death (also Keenlyside just always gets so much blood when his characters die) also Méphistophélès knocking the sword over when Valentin is using it to stand up? OUCH -granted I haven't seen a ton of Fausts but in the ones I have seen it always bothers me that no one ever actually helps Valentin like tries to stop the bleeding or anything -poor everybody :( -for some reason I always forget the Walpurgis Night scene is a thing no matter what production I’m watching -I FORGTO ABOUT MÉPHISTOPHÉLÈS'S DRESS OMG AND THE TIARA IDK WHAT I AM FEELING RIGHT NOW -that ballet was intense -the acting and staging in this finale is just so heartbreaking -ugh I'm crying the end of this opera always gives me such strong conflicting feelings like is it beautiful?? is it sad?? is it happy?? the answer is probably “yes” -those last quiet notes always get me like wow Gounod really knows how to end an opera

okay this was really fun and really nice especially after recent events so I’m really glad we could do this :) can’t wait to see everyone else’s thoughts this weekend!!

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Faust (Royal Opera House, 2004): Reactions, Part III

one of the few things I don’t like about this production: they cut the first scene of Act IV :(

but this scene is EPIC (it’s my favorite scene in the opera)

they’re both so awesome at what they do

poor Marguerite

oh no oh Faust

this is considerably lower-key than most stagings of this scene, which makes sense! given that this production is set in 1870s Paris and during the 1870s Paris got its butt kicked in the Franco-Prussian War and resulting fallout

chorus still slaps though

Faust is regretting his life choices

Faust is also now addicted to heroin

the way he sings this is so creepy and I love it

Méphistophélès your gay is showing

for the billionth time, to quote Vivs Green on this scene: “it’s not your misfortune, it’s not your shame, it happened to your sister, not everything is about you”

BARITONES SOMETIMES

bye-bye medallion

NO

YOU DOUCHEBAG STOP IT 

“dude chill out for five seconds” (aka Siébel is the only character other than the Devil to have ANY brain cells)

I’m not okay :(

and neither is Marguerite

tfw you model a certain opera house on the stage of a different opera house

BEAUTIFUL

WORK THAT GOWN

Jockey Club is yet again out in full force

yes Faust I agree the ballerinas are pretty and also extremely talented

oh no :(

hey he didn’t sign up for this 

BALLERINA SWORDFIGHT

I stg what the hell is the ROH’s deal with having ballerinas getting sexually assaulted onstage it also happened in the Herheim Vêpres

NO

“you wanna GO, Marguerite???”

awwwwww

I die every time the fair music comes back

this trio is my everything

SAVED!!!!!!!!

mutual acknowledgement

and down he goes

hey buddy, was it worth it?

(no. no it was not.)

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Faust (Met, 2011): Reactions, Part II

oh sweet, sweet Siébel how I adore you

for a limited time only, YOU, yes YOU can get your sink converted into a holy water sink!!! $19.95 with shipping and handling free if you call in the next ten minutes :)

MOOD

love love LOVE

his FACE

oh I wish, poor child...

I counter with “hypocrite”

let’s give some love to the set

SING IT JONAS

AND YOU SING IT TOO MARINA

she’s just mesmerizing

stalkers

dazzling voice and presence in a dazzling aria *heart eyes*

QUEEN

double the dazzle

THE “MM-HMM”s I’M DYING

well that killed the mood

I love in this production how clear his manipulation of everyone (particularly Marguerite) is

pwetty

the mezzo has her priorities straight, as always

awkward first date conversations

such a gorgeous moment

or how about NO

but that flower disappearing thing is cool

gorgeous <3

not Siébel’s flowers :(

Marguerite NO

we love duets sung by two magnificent performers

if only you felt that way forever :(

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

creepy creepy