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La Damnation de Faust

Opéra Bastille - from 08 to 15 December 2015

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La Damnation de Faust

New show

Opera Hector Berlioz

See performances Subscribe Book Option booking This production is no longer available for subscription

Personal offers for this show

Opéra Bastille - from 08 to 15 December 2015

2h40 with 1 interval

About

In few words:

"Who are you, you whose burning look penetrates like the flash of a dagger and who, flame-like, burnsand devours the soul?"

- La Damnation de Faust, Part II, scene 5


“This marvellous book fascinated me from the very beginning. I could not put it down. I read it incessantly, during meals, in the theatre, in the street, everywhere.” And so it was, following the composer’s discovery of Faust Part One in 1828 that Goethe joined Virgil and Shakespeare to form Berlioz's trinity. Without taking the time to catch his breath, he set the verse passages of Gérard de Nerval’s translation to music and published them under the title Huit scènes de Faust. Eighteen years later, during his travels “in Austria, Hungary, Bohemia and Silesia” he decided to revise and develop the material into La Damnation de Faust, whereupon the same feverish urge took hold of him.

“Once underway, I wrote the missing verses as the musical ideas came to me. I composed the score when and where I could – in the carriage, on the train, on steam boats”. As if swept away by “the longing of too vast a heart, and a soul thirsting for elusive happiness”, Berlioz became one with his creation. The voice that invokes “immense, impenetrable and proud nature” is entirely his own, its extraordinary breadth transcending traditional forms to become a symphonic and operatic dream. Bringing out the dramatic force of this légende dramatique is a constant challenge that stage director Alvis Hermanis has willingly accepted. Philippe Jordan conducts the first installment of a Berlioz cycle which is to continue over several seasons. It also marks the return of Jonas Kaufmann and Bryn Terfel to the Paris Opera.

Performances

Available in audiodescription

Advantages

Full

Available in audiodescription

Advantages

Full

Whether you’re a member of Arop or not, the friends of the Opera can reserve seats for you on all performance dates, including those not yet open for sale and those announced as sold out.
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Audio clips

Podcast | La Damnation de Faust - Hector Berlioz

About the work

Partners

  • With the support of the Cercle Berlioz

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  • Exclusive Timepiece of the Paris Opera

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  • Sponsor of the Paris Opera initiatives for families

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  • Sponsor of the Paris Opera initiatives for young people and of the avant-premières

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  • With the support of AROP

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This production will be recorded for television.
A coproduction by the Paris Opera, Telmondis and Mezzo with support from the CNC and directed by Louise Narboni.
Broadcast live in cinemas on 17 December and as of 19 December on Culture Box.
Broadcast on France 3 and France Musique at a later date.

Media and technical partners