Sir Simon Rattle conducts Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust
With Karen Cargill (Marguerite), Bryan Hymel (Faust), Christopher Purves (Mephistopheles), Gábor Bretz (Brander)... – London Symphony Orchestra
Cast
Karen Cargill — Marguerite
Bryan Hymel — Faust
Christopher Purves — Mephistopheles
Gábor Bretz — Brander
London Symphony Chorus
Simon Halsey — Chorus director
Program notes
The London Symphony Orchestra celebrates the debut of their new Music Director Sir Simon Rattle with a series of concerts called This is Rattle. Here they perform Berlioz's riveting The Damnation of Faust, with Karen Cargill, Bryan Hymel, Christopher Purves, and Gábor Bretz in the roles of Marguerite, Faust, Mephistopheles, and Brander.
Called a "dramatic legend" by its creator, Berlioz's genre-defying The Damnation of Faust is a four-part work for four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large children's chorus, and orchestra. It grew out of the composer's personal obsession with Goethe's legendary dramatic poem Faust, the tale of a wise man who allows himself to be corrupted by the devil in disguise, eventually destroying his own life and the lives of those around him. First performed on December 6, 1846, at Paris' Opéra-Comique, the hybrid opera-oratorio rose above its initial lukewarm audience reception to assert itself as a beloved, if mystifying work of the classical music canon.
Don't miss this concert performance of the colossal choral work, led by Sir Simon Rattle in the first month of his inaugural season as the Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra! They are joined by the London Symphony Chorus, the Tiffin Children's Chorus, the Tiffin Girls' Choir, and the Tiffin Boys' Choir for what is sure to be a spellbinding musical evening.
Photo: Sir Simon Rattle conducts the LSO - Barbican Hall 2012 © Mark Allan
