On this weeks WCPE Opera House well hear an encore performance of Charles Gounods Faust, hosted by the late Al Ruocchio (1937-2007). Loosely based on several episodes from Johann Wolfgang von Goethes classic play about an aged philosopher who strikes a deal with the devil in return for regaining his youth, Jules Barbier and Michel Carrés libretto focused so much on the love story between the youthful Faust and the innocent Marguerite that, to this day, many German opera houses refer to Gounods tuneful 1859 French opera as Margarethe. The opera takes place in sixteenth-century Germany. The aging philosopher Faust (tenor Plácido Domingo) sells his soul to Méphistophélès (bass Nicolai Ghiaurov) in return for renewed youth and the love of Marguerite (soprano Mirella Freni). Méphistophélès frustrates the attentions of Siébel (mezzo-soprano Michèle Command), Marguerites faithful admirer charged with protecting her by her brother, Valentin (baritone Thomas Allen), and introduces her to Faust, with whom she falls in love. Valentin returns from the wars to find her compromised, and challenges Faust to a duel. Valentin is killed and Faust abandons Marguerite. She bears Fausts child and is condemned to death for killing it in shame. The repentant Faust tries to rescue Marguerite from prison, where she is now deranged, but she recognizes him as evil and dies renouncing her love for him. Méphistophélès declares her condemned, but angels announce her salvation and raise her to Heaven, while Méphistophélès forces Faust down to Hell. Georges Prêtre conducts the Paris Opéra Orchestra and Chorus in this 1978 EMI recording, CD number 5091662. From a 1973 Tokyo performance, Nicolai Ghiaurov sings Méphistophélèss Le veau dor (Song of the Golden Calf): youtu.be/asXI3oLofS8. This Saturday, December 20th, at noon, please join us for the Metropolitan Operas production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). Erwin Schrott sings the title role and Danielle de Niese is his bride Susanna. Other principals are Mariusz Kwiecien (Count), Rachel Willis-Sørensen (Countess), Serena Malfi (Cherubino), John Del Carlo (Bartolo), and Susanne Mentzer (Marcellina). Edo de Waart conducts. Be sure to join me next Thursday, December 25th, for Christmas at the Opera House, featuring many of the greatest stars from the 20th and 21st centuries singing sacred music of the season. Included are Roberto Alagna, José Carreras, Denyce Graves, Thomas Hampson, Barbara Hendricks, Ben Heppner, Marilyn Horne, Mario Lanza, Giovanni Martinelli, John McCormack, Jessye Norman, Anne Sofie von Otter, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul Plishka, Rosa Ponselle, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Joan Sutherland, Renata Tebaldi, Kiri Te Kanawa, Bryn Terfel, Georges Thill, and Lawrence Tibbett. The WCPE Opera House is heard every Thursday evening at 7 o’clock in the Eastern time zone on 89.7 FM in central North Carolina, and we’re streamed online at theclassicalstation.org.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 12:36:30 +0000
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