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Directors: Sue Judd, Robin Lough
Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Stars: Roberto Alagna, Bryn Terfel, Angela Gheorghiu, Simon Keenlyside.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1954436/
Premiere 1859
Place: Germany
Time: 16th century
The production looked more Victorian than 16th century, but it worked for me. At one point Faust injects himself with a hypodermic (illicit drugs); that's rather modern: 1853 is when that's invented.
I'm on an Alagna jag, and this one was pleasing, to the extent that I can appreciate this opera.
I felt like I watched fairly carefully (not undivided attention, but close), and find these plot deficits: According to the synopses in Simon's Great Operas and on Wikipedia, Marguerite is in prison because she killed her out-of-wedlock child. We see her in prison, and earlier put a baby into a coffin, but not its cause of death. Also, Marguerite is supposed to go to heaven at the end, and possibly Faust too, but they're both onstage after the appearance and exit of the angel and the descent of Meph, so that did NOT convey either direction for our mortals.
I believe Marguerite is portrayed as fairly innocent at the beginning of the show, and resists Faust's advances, but when she succumbs, she pays dearly. He pays too, but only because he has a conscience.
I never did see the moment complained about by a (civilian) reviewer, and which is memorialized on the dvd menu: Meph tasting blood. His costume is red brocade, which I believe he wears in the first half of the opera. I have no idea of the source of the blood. (Or is it Valentin's? That's the only blood I remember seeing, but that's on the second disc, and Meph wears a plain black cloak there.)
I have no quibbles with the production design; the Victorian costumes are consistent with the metal hypodermic needle (I watched for that). The ballerino (why don't we use that word more?) had some pretty scary vampirish teeth; wonder if that was prosthetic.
The moral of the story: don't mess with the devil (duh) and wait until marriage and/or use some of those new-fangled rubber condoms (invented 1855) before you fool around. (Other covers were available since the middle of the 16th century, per Wp.)
Rated 9.3 (7)
RoyalOpera, cond. Pappano; 8
