Berlioz La Damnation de Faust(1999)
While excerpts of the score are popular today, like the Hungarian March in the first part or Marguerite's romanza "D'amour l'ardente flamme" in the fourth part, the complete "lĂ©gende dramatique," as the composer called it, is rarely performed. But you must remind of this opera for its unity, its dramaturgy, its libretto (written by GĂ©rard de Nerval) and its long lyrical flights of poetry. Alex OllĂ© and Carlos Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus) well understood it, when they staged this blazing and infernal version of Berliozâs score. The musical direction by Sylvain Cambreling, but also the performance by Vesselina Kasarova (Marguerite), Paul Groves (Faust), Williard White (MĂ©phistophĂ©lĂšs) and Andreas Macco (Brander), joined by the Staatskapelle Berlin Orchestra, the Chorus OrfeĂłn Donostiarra from San SebastiĂĄn and the Tölzer Knabenchor made this production at the Salzburg Festival a reference version of Berliozâs score.