Faust

Synopsis

“Radical and ingenious, unsettling and beguiling” (Kurier), this production of Gounod’s Faust at the Vienna State Opera ticks all the boxes. Legendary director Frank Castorf moves the action to a tumultuous 1960s Paris and draws the audience in with an abundance of elements that seamlessly blend into one: “Everything has its place. There is not a single superfluous video, no detail without meaning, and each of the characters can tell their own story” (News). The action on stage is expertly supported in the pit as Bertrand de Billy “makes the score shine and resonate magnificently” (Tiroler Tageszeitung). The cast is star-studded, lead by Juan Diego Flórez giving his debut as Faust. He sings the role with “impeccable French diction, allowing his warm tenor to shimmer” (Kronenzeitung). Nicole Car’s Marguerite was “beautiful, silvery-toned” (Seen And Heard) and the young bass Adam Palka is convincing as Mephisto, “alternating between devilish, camp, erotic and sadistic” (APA).

Additional Info

• No: A04050362
• Composer: Charles Gounod
• Conductor: Bertrand de Billy
• Orchestra: Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper
• Artists: Juan Diego Flórez, Nicole Car, Adam Palka, Etienne Dupuis, Martin Häßler, Kate Lindsey
• Production year: 2021
• Run time: 02:54:00
• Director: Stage Director: Frank Castorf
• Producers: ORF III, Wiener Staatsoper, Ö1, UNITEL
• Format: HDTV 16:9