La Damnation de Faust   (Brief synopsis)  

 

Poster - Opera North's production 2003 

Part I  (Scenes 1 - 4)

Faust enjoys the solitude of a warm spring morning in the Hungarian plains. Soon his contemplation is disturbed by dancing and singing peasants. Then a military regiment passes by on their way to battle. Faust only can feel indifference towards the pleasures and enthusiasm of the people.

Part II (Scenes 4 - 8)

Back in his study, feeling depressed Faust is about to take poison to end his life. But hearing the sounds of the Easter hymn changes his mood.
All of a sudden Mephistopheles appears promising Faust a life full of pleasures. On their first trip he leads Faust to Auerbach's cellar in Leipzig.
At night on the banks of the river Elbe Mephistopheles enchants Faust with seductive dreams letting him have a vision of Margarita. When he wakes up Faust demands to meet her.

Part III (Scenes 9 - 14)

Mephistopheles leads Faust into Margarita's chamber. Margarita, too, had been bewitched in her dreams.
Faust and Margarita discover one another and declare their mutual love.
When morning breaks neighbours discover their secretive meeting. Faust and Mephistopheles flee.

Part IV (Scenes 15 - 20)

Mephistopheles tells Faust that Margarita has been condemned to death for murdering her mother. Waiting in vain for Faust to meet her in the nights she had given her mother of the soporofic she had got from Faust night after night until at last her mother died. The supposed sleeping drug had been poison.

In exchange for saving Margarita, Mephistopheles demands of Faust the oath to serve him in the future. Both mount black horses and gallop off. Not towards Margarita's prison cell as Faust assumes but straight to the Abyss. Falling into Hell's mouth Faust is greeted by a demoniac choir while Margarita is delivered to Heaven acompanied by an angelic choir.