Sir Simon Rattle conducts Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust

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