Seeing it performed reminded me that Faust was at some point intended to be seen on the stage, and I felt like I established much more meaningful connections with the story, seeing it performed as opera.
Converting Goethe's Faust into a lover's tragedy (with redemption for both at the end!) translates the story perfectly to the theatrics of an opera stage. Faust and Margerete's "j'taime" lovers duet was breathtaking both at the first time they met and in the final prison scene.
However, here is an interesting dilemma I felt while watching the opera tonight:
I am aware that Faust I ends with Margerete's soul being saved, and most people do not read Faust beyond book one, but I am still wondering if this version of the Faustian is story is still, well, Faustian.
Faust was not presented to us as a scholar in this opera, and his reasons for making a deal with the devil had to do with youth and desire, not skepticism or the desire to achieve more than what humanity had to offer. And while Faust is the man who brings Margerete to ruin in the opera, I did not detect the major Faustian theme of the constantly moving and modern Faust destroying the unmoving and constant traditional.
Another thought I had on this opera was that there did not seem to be a main character. The length allowed us to connect with Mephistopheles, Faust, Siebel, Margarete and Valentino alike, by giving them all songs to sing with insights to their inner conflicts.
The portrayal of Margerete was especially strong. The fact that her aria was about her desires, her love of the jewels and vanity gave her a lot more depth than just a poor, chaste girl seduced by Faust. The same goes for the fact that in the opera she is undoubtedly a Kindesmoerderin. She becomes a multi-faceted characters, who is still overwhelmingly good, and recognizes that something is amiss with Mephistopheles and also during their love song, is skeptical of Faust's love for her and begs him not to break her heart, because she would die for him.
One thing that I am especially glad did not change was the awesome-ness of Mephistopheles, I absolutely loved his pimped out red sequined cape and hat. His air-lute solo which he did not mean to sing to Valentino was an example of the humor that he always managed to bring into the Goethe text, and his humor came as an overwhelming relief from the operatic drama that we were already almost 2 hours into viewing.
I am very excited to hear all of your thoughts on the opera as well!
I found it interesting that Mephisto gave Faust the drink of youth-not the witches. And, in Goethe's Faust, I read Walpurgisnacht to be chaotic. Even though the Walpurgisnacht in this version was quite sexual, it was very organized and gracefuly done through ballet.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you about Mephisto, Julia-- Mephisto made this opera like ten times better for me. He's amusing and almost more real than Faust himself is because of it.
ReplyDeleteSomething I also greatly enjoyed from Mephisto in this opera was the original version of the 'Single Ladies' song! Remember when he sang to Margarete, that she should have had a ring on her finger before she let a man through the door? :)
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