Mirella Freni as Maguerite singing the roof off the Paris Opera in 1975. With Nicolai Gedda as Faust and Roger Soyer as Méphistophélès. Charles Mackerras conducting. The production was by Jorge Lavelli.
This production was a shared one with the Lyric Opera of Chicago where I saw it with the same cast. Freni was particularly impressive bringing incredible beauty of tone and fine line to her singing as well as fine dramatic skills.
Cette scène finale de Faust est à mon sens une des plus saisissante de tout l'art de l'Opéra Occidental .Faust est une oeuvre majeure du répertoire Européen .
rascasse 2Marseille Magnifique. C'est comme dans mon souvenir. Quand on pense qu'à l'époque l'épisode "des draps" a parfois choqué et que les anciens combattants, dans le moment les concernant, ont vigoureusement manifesté. Vive aujourd'hui !
So this was the production of Faust that Gedda hated and thought was a scandal. I've got to say, this is not nearly as bad as I would have thought from the way he talked about it. It might be a good thing that he's retired now. I can just image what he would make of some of the more insane and bizarre Regietheater of today.
Wow, thanks for this discussion and for the clarification Jefgon. Amazingly, I agree with the points that Iskenderuna made. The child playing hop-scotch was a little distracting and I don't understand why Faust stayed so long on stage after Marguerite's condemnation. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite operas and Freni is my preferred artiste in this role by far. Love her choice of the low note on that last "horror".
oh non, the child is not at all a nonsense. her presence, playing a game where you go from hell to paradise, is a very poetic and moving equivalence for the angelic choir, IMHO. it reminds me the children in the Faust by Murnau. It is evident for the audience that the child is a figure of Marguerite "forever pure". I saw the productionin 1975 and never forgot this moment. It made me cry. Thank you for posting this great Faust.
has there been a contest to reward the silliest possible production of an opera? - this carries the first price - if Marguerite is saved, why does she go downwards? Allegorically, she should go upwards, etc
You may be right.I think I used the wrong word. More appropriate would be "unimportant" (in the sense that in comparison to this effective production and amazing singing I find the constant reference to the child as superfulous.) By the way: I know the production well as I was Lavell's assistant when it transferred to Bonn ('85). We had a stunning cast with Freni/Lima/Raimondi AND Hampson. Many peple objected or didnt understand the child then either... :)
thanks to you. I didn't think that "la marelle" was a typically french game, I thought it was easy to understand internationally. actually, everybody should admit that this choir of angels is difficult to put on stage today, and that is not the best thing composed by Gounod, after the sublime trio. You know the production better than me, I saw it only one time ; but it's something I'll never forget.
And the snow??? If the "symbolism" was needed, Gounod would have added it to his productions. The creator's artistic intent is always paramount, not the manipulations of modern producers. While I don't agree that a "choir of angels" would be difficult to stage, the ending of the opera should involve only four on-stage presences - God, in the form of an angel; the devil, in the form of Mephistopheles; Marguerite; and Faust. "God" could easily be shown in the same manner as He is shown in the final redemptive moments of Puccini's "Suor Angelica."
Gedda was wrong, because he was great in this production. it was booed at the beginning (of course, in the Palais Garnier, no one could dare to renew that "monument". it was a real taboo !) but a considerable part of the audience loved il, so that it was played during 30 years, in Garnier and in Bastille... it remains as a legendary production, at least in France.
Though after reading some of the other comments of those who are more familiar with this production, I must say that if I saw it in context of the whole I might have thought it worked too--it just looks bad in this isolated clip.
C’est sans doute le cas pour toutes les langues, mais aussi doués que soient les chanteurs (merveilleux Gedda), dès qu’un artiste français entre dans la compétition (Soyer, impérial) il y a comme une évidence du mot et de l’intention qui s’impose à l’auditeur. Je voudrais pour ma part que les chanteurs se concentrent plus sur le mot que sur le son.
Peter987Artist@gmail.com I don't like this production's finale even though I understand why the child was playing hopscotch. It is an interesting effect but it is not at all able to carry or match the rich noble music of the finale and it is lost on most people who don't know the 'hopscotch to heaven' analogy. Also, during the miracle, Marguerite was static as was Faust, I kept begging for staging that would match the power of the music. The singing was excellent, however. This is the only part of that production I saw online today. By comparison: When I was 19, in 1962, I auditioned for Sarah Caldwell's Opera Company of Boston's Chorus and was hired as one of eight male union choristers. I was the new young guy in her chorus of 16 men and women and they were all seasoned professionals. Her second opera for me that season was Gounod's Faust. I was falling in love with opera then, and I was completely blown away by Sarah's production of this Faust. Beverly Sills was Marguerite, John Alexander was Faust, and Norman Treigle was Mephistopheles. The expensive, elaborate sets were designed by the famous Pertzoff's, most of the musicians were from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Sarah Caldwell staged this production, and she brilliantly conducted it as well. When the curtain rose on the finale prison/apotheosis scene, Beverly Sills (Marguerite) was lying on a bed of straw in a white prison gown, illuminated only by a thin ray of moonlight that was spilling in from a small, lonely window high above. She was surrounded by tall ugly stone walls and an enormous black iron gate locking her into her cell. Faust and Mephistopheles entered the prison cell, Faust was horrified to see that Marguerite was waiting to be executed in the morning. She had been deserted by Faust and lost her mind, failing to tend to the baby they had created she was sentenced to die. At first, Marguerite was in shock to see Faust again, and she sang to him in a halting kind of disbelief. Soon she was thrilled to see Faust and they sang tenderly to each other. But, when she suddenly saw the Devil with Faust, she recoiled and came to her senses. She realized she wasn't crazy after all, she had been duped. Faust had been manipulated by the Devil. She fell to her knees in repentance and begged the angels to save her soul as she sang the glorious aria, "Anges peur anges radieux" with Faust and Mephistopheles chiming in to make it a trio. That was the most beautiful trio I have ever heard in my life. Many of us in the chorus had tears in our eyes it was so beautiful. And then came the grand climax, Marguerite fell to the floor in exhaustion, Mephistopheles bellowed, "Juger" over her body, pronouncing her as damned, and we in the chorus of angels from above instantly reversed that curse and exclaimed "Sauver" (Saved). The orchestra then brought forth the most heavenly music starting softly and growing intensely to grand crescendo's as Marguerite was elevated to heaven, [and I am not even Catholic]. The dark scenery disappeared, the prison gates began to glow with light and then transformed into the brilliant Gates of Heaven as she entered in, all in precise synchronization with the music. The curtain slowly descended with the final few sweet soft notes that leave you spellbound and in awe. There was silence for eight seconds, and then the audience burst forth with the most intense applause I have ever heard in my life. That is the way the finale of Gounod's Faust should be sung and staged. Over the 25 years I sang in Sarah Caldwell's operas, it is still one of my fondest memories. Peter Benjamin, Brighton, MA Peter987Artist@gmail.com
@@acacia-bloom For heavens sake . Did you write your reply before waking up properly? Sure I know AK doesn't appear in this video ,this is why I wrote my comment in the first place . I am a perfectly sane person who doesn't blatter religious stuff on utube .Jesus is Jesus Muñoz ,a commenter here .For whatever reason my first comment doesn't show up as reply to his .
Gedda said, this was one of the most disappointing productions ever in his long career. He remembered hearing the audience whispering "affreux, affreux".
Couldn't figure out the little girl playing Hopscotch! singing super , sets not as provocative as a more recent Metropolitan Opera production with Jonas Kaufman.
@@acacia-bloom No. Because you don't understand that what Gounod intended for audiences to see was NOT symbolism, but an actual redemptive act. It is certainly more than annoying when modern directors, costumers, and stage-designers try to add a 21st-century spin on stories which could only have happened in the time period shown in the first stage production. Since God does not make an appearance until the last few moments of the opera, I'd like to consider the opera to be a menage a trois. Everything revolves around Mephistopheles, Faust, and, Marguerite. So should be the opera's ending - an intimate link between the three. The problem in staging "Faust" is that there is so much music between the time Marguerite dies and the last note. Modern directors deem that music without action is a wasted opportunity. SymphonyBrahms is right. There is no room for symbolism in Gounod's work. And, even without symbolism, as the heavenly choir sings, I'd rather not see the Virgin Mary appear with an infant (i.e. Marguerite's son) in her arms while Mary leads Marguerite to heaven. "Faust" is not "Suor Angelica."
@@mianom Oh but I do understand, That is exactly where YOU are wrong. I am in direct contact with him - he are completely wrong about using symbolism. He also says he doesnt like grandstanders who claim to know exactly what he wanted . I dunno - I am just repeating what he said to me. I personally have no opinion on the matter......
But all productions of opera are "meaningful". The question is whether the production is successful in conveying its meaning, or isn't. What they did here doesn't work.
Marguerite was noy condemned to hell - actually she was saved (Mephisto days "jugée" (she is damned)) but the angels sing "Sauvée" (Saved) it is the morning of Easter and Jesus has risen. Marguerite should not go down but upwards, to heaven!. Another regrettable production of Faust-
The singing is great, but opera is so much more than that. Set design, costumes, blocking, and direction are just as important. What is the point of the dancing girl?!? Incompetent directors always feel the need to fill those last few measures of music with something for the audience to see.
@@acacia-bloom And the snow??? If the "symbolism" was needed, Gounod would have added it to his productions. The creator's artistic intent is always paramount, not the manipulations of modern producers.
Déjà à cette époque, où pourtant le chant français était magnifiquement représenté dans ces emplois (Vanzo, Esposito, Crespin et tant d'autres !!) l'opéra de Paris se croit malin en recrutant un cast international (Gedda, Freni et Lavelli) qui ne sera pour toujours qu'exotique dans ce répertoire ....La produciton de Mireille récente ne déroge pas à ce "contre-nationalisme" primaire...et tellement ruineux pour la transmission du chant français....
