Berlioz: La damnation de Faust

This is a wonderful recording of an all too rarely heard masterpiece. Taking Goethe's Faust as his inspiration, Berlioz devised his own scenario and created characters that reflected his own personality and experiences. All seem motivated by loneliness; his Mephistopheles is more satanic than Goethe’s, Marguerite more victimized; Faust has no redeeming virtues. The music is utterly beautiful and displays Berlioz’s genius in all its mercurial variety, changing from beguiling, simple melodies to complex counterpoint, from scenes of pastoral serenity to boisterous dances, from devout hymns to raucous drinking songs, from passion and soaring ecstasy to heart-breaking sorrow. Mephistopheles sings a lovely but sardonic lullaby, his minions engage in spooky and triumphant songs and dances, and Faust and Mephistopheles take a wild ghostly ride on infernal horses; the opera ends with celestial voices radiating heavenly bliss. Marguerite's music is most ambiguous, based on a recurring tritone whose unresolved tension seems to symbolize her desperation. The text of her first aria, "The King of Thule," is taken directly from Goethe; her second one, accompanied by a lamenting English horn solo, paraphrases the song "Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel," made famous by Schubert. The orchestration is vintage Berlioz; infinitely imaginative and colorful, it creates palpable visual pictures, evokes mood and atmosphere, and underlines the characters' emotions with powerful immediacy. The performance, recorded live at London's Barbican Center, is splendid. Sabbatini negotiates the formidable tenor part, which goes up to a C-sharp and often lingers on B-flat's and B's, without strain; Pertusi is a dark-voiced, diabolical devil, Shikosa a touching Marguerite, the orchestral sound is wonderfully warm and cushioning. The recording's only flaw is its extreme dynamic contrast, necessitating constant volume adjustment. --Edith Eisler

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