Faust (Spohr)
Faust | |
---|---|
Royal Italian Opera, from The Illustrated London News Supplement, 31 July 1852 | |
Librettist | Joseph Karl Bernard |
Language | German |
Based on | legend of Faust |
Premiere | 1 September 1816 in Prague |
Faust is an
Performance history
Spohr had left his court appointment at Gotha and taken up a post in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien, which had recently been purchased by Count Ferdinánd Pálffy de Erdöd. Spohr composed the opera in less than four months, May to September 1813[2] but had difficulties with Count Pálffy that interfered with getting it staged in Vienna. Though he took the manuscript score privately to Giacomo Meyerbeer, who played it, with Spohr singing — supplementing his vocal range by whistling — it was not until Carl Maria von Weber took an interest in the score that it received its premiere. Weber conducted the first performance of Faust at the Estates Theatre in Prague on 1 September 1816. Meyerbeer introduced it at Berlin.
In its original form, the opera was a
Roles
Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 1 September 1816[6] Conductor: Carl Maria von Weber |
---|---|---|
Faust | baritone | Johann Nepomuk Schelble |
Mephistofeles | baritone | |
Count Hugo | tenor | |
Kunigunde his fiancée | soprano | Therese Grünbaum |
Röschen a young girl | soprano | |
Kaylinger a friend of Faust | baritone | |
Wohlhardt a friend of Faust | tenor | |
Wagner a friend of Faust | tenor | |
Moor a friend of Faust | baritone | |
Franz | tenor | |
Gulf | bass | |
Sycorax a witch | soprano | |
Count Hugo's page | spoken role |
Synopsis
Faust is torn between his love for the young Röschen and his desire for Kunigunde, the fiancée of Count Hugo. He makes a pact with the devil Mefistofeles which allows him to rescue Kunigunde from the clutches of the evil knight Gulf. Faust obtains a love potion from the witch Sycorax which he gives to Kunigunde during her wedding celebrations. Outraged at the sudden passion his bride shows for Faust, Count Hugo challenges him to a duel. Faust kills Hugo and flees. Meanwhile, Faust's first love, Röschen, drowns herself in despair. Mefistofeles seizes Faust and drags him down to Hell.
Recordings
- Faust (1852 revision) Bielefeld Opera, Soloists, Chorus, Bielefeld Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Geoffrey Moull (CPO, 1994).[7]
- Faust –
Notes
- ^ "Bernard's libretto draws mainly on Faust plays and poems by Maximilian Klinger and Heinrich von Kleist." in Opera News, October 1995 (review of Bielefeld Philharmonic recording of the two versions).
- The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, 21 (August 1, 1880), p. 394.
- ^ A steel engraving of the duel scene was featured on the cover of the Illustrated London News Supplement, 31 July 1852.
- ^ Paul Griffiths (24 February 1984). "Faust". The Arts. The Times. No. 61766. London. col f, p. 10.
- ISBN 3-933040-03-5
- ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Faust, 1 September 1816". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
- ^ "Louis Spohr: Faust (Version 1852) (2 CDS) – JPC".
- ^ JW (December 1994). "Review of Capriccio Faust". Gramophone. London, UK. p. 138. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
Further reading
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Amanda Holden (Viking, 1993)
- The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera ed. Parker (OUP, 1994)
- Del Teatro (in Italian)
External links
- Faust (Spohr): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project