Faust is a grand opera in five acts composed by Charles Gounod. The opera’s text was written in French by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Carré’s play Faust et Marguerite. This play is loosely inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust, Part One. The opera first performed on 19 March 1859 at the Théâtre Lyrique on the Boulevard du Temple in Paris. The sets for the performance were designed by Charles-Antoine Cambon, Joseph Thierry, Jean Émile Daran, Édouard Desplechin, and Philippe Chaperon.
Performance history
The original version of Faust used spoken dialogue, and it was first performed in this form. Léon Carvalho, the manager of the Théâtre Lyrique, cast his wife, Caroline Miolan-Carvalho, as Marguerite. During the production, several changes were made, including the removal and shortening of some musical pieces. The tenor Hector Gruyer was originally chosen to play Faust, but he was found to be unsuitable during rehearsals. He was replaced by Joseph-Théodore-Désiré Barbot, a principal singer from the Opéra-Comique, shortly before the opening night.
After its successful debut at the Théâtre Lyrique, the publisher Antoine Choudens bought the copyright for 10,000 francs. He took the work on a tour through Germany, Belgium, Italy, and England, with Caroline Miolan-Carvalho repeating her role. The spoken dialogue in the original version was later replaced with recitatives, a type of sung dialogue.
In Germany, the Dresden Semperoper first billed the work as Margarethe instead of Faust in 1861. For many years, this practice—sometimes called staging the opera as Gretchen—continued in Germany. Some sources say this was to honor Goethe’s original poetic drama, which the opera closely follows. Others suggest the change was to highlight Gounod’s use of Goethe’s characters and to distinguish the opera from Louis Spohr’s Faust, which had been performed in Germany for many years and had recently been revised in 1851. It is also possible that the title change in Dresden honored Spohr’s long connection with the city.
The opera was first performed in Italy at La Scala in 1862 and in England at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London (in Italian) in 1863. In 1864, when the opera was performed in English at the same venue, Gounod composed a new aria for the baritone Charles Santley, who played Valentin. The aria, titled “Even bravest heart may swell” (with lyrics by Henry Chorley), was later translated into French as “Avant de quitter ces lieux” and became a well-known part of the opera.
In 1869, a ballet was added to the first scene of the final act before the opera could be performed at the Opéra. This change helped the opera become one of the most frequently performed works at that venue. The shift from spoken dialogue to sung recitatives, along with the addition of music and ballet, transformed the opera into a grand opera, following traditional conventions.
The Metropolitan Opera in New York City first performed Faust on October 22, 1883. It has been the eighth most frequently performed opera there, with 753 performances through the 2012–2013 season. The full version of the opera was not performed until the 1965–1977 period, with some minor cuts. All performances in that production included the Walpurgisnacht ballet.
Composer Jerry Goldsmith used three pieces from Faust in the soundtrack of Franklin J. Shaffner’s 1973 film Papillon. These pieces were heard by the characters during a prison concert.
Martin Scorsese’s 1993 film The Age of Innocence shows a scene from the opera at the beginning (the duet between Marguerite and Faust: “Il se fait tard! … adieu!”, from the third act).
In 2018, a recording of the 1859 version of Faust was made by Les Talens Lyriques, conducted by Christophe Rousset. This recording aimed to present the opera as it was first performed at the Théâtre Lyrique, with spoken passages and musical numbers alternating. The recording, produced by Bru Zane, featured Véronique Gens, Benjamin Bernheim, and Andrew Foster-Williams in leading roles.
Synopsis
Faust, an old scholar, feels his studies have led to nothing and caused him to miss life and love ("Rien! En vain j'interroge"). He tries to kill himself twice with poison but stops each time when he hears a choir singing. He curses hope and faith and asks for help from evil forces. Méphistophélès appears ("Me voici") and shows Faust a vision of Marguerite at her spinning wheel. He persuades Faust to trade his soul to Méphistophélès for power on Earth, in exchange for Faust's soul in Hell. Faust's poison is changed into a youth-elixir, making him young again. He and Méphistophélès leave to explore the world.
A group of students, soldiers, and villagers sings a drinking song ("Vin ou Bière"). Valentin leaves for war with his friend Wagner, entrusting his sister Marguerite to Siebel ("O sainte médaille … Avant de quitter ces lieux"). Méphistophélès gives wine to the crowd and sings a bold song about the golden calf ("Le veau d'or"). He predicts Wagner will not return and insults Marguerite. Valentin tries to attack Méphistophélès with his sword, but the blade breaks in the air. Valentin and others use their swords' cross-shaped handles to fight what they now recognize as evil ("De l'enfer"). Méphistophélès joins Faust and villagers in a waltz ("Ainsi que la brise légère"). Marguerite appears, and Faust admires her, but she refuses his hand out of modesty, a trait that makes him love her more.
Siebel, lovesick, leaves flowers for Marguerite ("Faites-lui mes aveux"). Faust sends Méphistophélès to find a gift for Marguerite and sings a song ("Salut, demeure chaste et pure") praising her as a pure child of nature. Méphistophélès brings a decorated box with jewelry and a mirror, leaving it near Siebel's flowers on Marguerite's doorstep. Marguerite enters, thinking about her meeting with Faust at the city gates, and sings a sad song about the King of Thule ("Il était un roi de Thulé"). Her neighbor, Marthe, notices the jewelry and says it must come from an admirer. Marguerite tries on the jewels, admiring how they make her look beautiful, and sings the famous "Jewel Song" ("Oh dieu! Que de bijoux … Ah! je ris de me voir si belle en ce miroir"). Méphistophélès and Faust join the women in the garden and flirt with them. Marguerite allows Faust to kiss her ("Laisse-moi, laisse-moi contempler ton visage") but then tells him to leave. She sings from her window for his return, and Faust, listening, comes back. Under Méphistophélès' watchful eye and mocking laughter, it is clear that Faust will win Marguerite's affection.
Marguerite's room / A public square outside her house / A cathedral
[Note: In some performances, the scenes of Act 4 are rearranged or shortened.] After being made pregnant and seemingly abandoned by Faust, Marguerite gives birth and becomes an outcast. She sings a song at her spinning wheel ("Il ne revient pas"). Siebel stays by her side. The scene moves to the square outside her house. Valentin's group returns from war, marching to a military tune ("Déposons les armes" and "Gloire immortelle de nos aïeux," the famous "soldiers' chorus"). Siebel asks Valentin to forgive Marguerite. Valentin runs to her cottage. While he is inside, Faust and Méphistophélès appear. Méphistophélès sings a mocking love song under Marguerite's window ("Vous qui faites l'endormie"), tricking Valentin into coming out. The two men fight, but Faust refuses to harm Valentin, the brother of the woman he loves. Méphistophélès stops Valentin's sword, letting Faust kill him. As Valentin dies, he blames Marguerite for his death and condemns her to Hell before the townspeople ("Ecoute-moi bien Marguerite"). Marguerite goes to the church to pray but is stopped first by Méphistophélès and then by a group of devils. She finishes her prayer but faints when Méphistophélès curses her again.
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 taken to a cave filled with queens and courtesans, and Méphistophélès promises to give him the love of the most beautiful women in history. A wild dance shows the night's celebration. As dawn nears, Faust sees a vision of Marguerite and calls for her. Méphistophélès takes Faust to the prison where Marguerite is held for killing her child. They sing a love duet ("Oui, c'est toi que j'aime"). Méphistophélès says only a human can save Marguerite, and Faust offers to rescue her from the hangman, but she chooses to trust 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 motionless. Méphistophélès curses as a voice from above sings "Sauvée!" ("Saved!"). Easter bells ring, and angels sing "Christ est ressuscité!" ("Christ is risen!"). The prison walls open, and Marguerite's soul rises to heaven. In despair, Faust watches and falls to his knees, praying. Méphistophélès is driven away by the shining sword of the archangel.
Ballet
The Walpurgisnacht ballet sequence from Act 5 of Faust is often left out of today's performances of the opera. However, it is frequently performed alone as a concert piece or included in a ballet program, for example, George Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht Ballet.