Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust / Faustovo prokletí

🇨🇿 "This wonderful book fascinated me from the beginning. I couldn't tear myself away from it. I read it non-stop: while eating, in the theater, on the street, simply everywhere," composer Hector Berlioz, a musical visionary and somewhat of a fantasist of 19th-century French music, described his fascination with Goethe's Faust. His "Faustian" passion first gave birth to Eight Scenes from Faust and, in the next eighteen years, a composition perhaps even more extraordinary than his Fantastic Symphony - a "légende dramatique" on the border between oratorio and opera called La Damnation de Faust (The Curse of Faust). In it, Berlioz departs relatively fundamentally from Goethe's model, because from the beginning he drives the protagonist mercilessly into the gates of hell. But before he damns Faust forever, he guides him with his own fantasy through many adventurous vicissitudes, which he manages to spice up with a number of funny, dramatic and, of course, love scenes. For his debut at the Prague Spring as the new chief conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, Mr. The conductor Tomáš Netopil chose this completely extraordinary piece for a mixed and children's choir, four soloists and a large orchestra at the Prague FOK. The stars of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, tenor Paul Appleby and bassist Alexander Vinogradov, will play the main roles of Faust and Mephistopheles, Markétka will be played by the soloist of the Semper Opera in Dresden, Štěpánka Pučálková, and the student of Brander, the soloist of the National Theater Opera and the State Opera, Pavel Švingr.

Tickets ➡️ https://bit.ly/pj2026-faustovo-prokleti

🇬🇧 "This marvelous book fascinated me from the very beginning. I could not put it down. I read it incessantly, during meals, in the theater, in the street, everywhere," composer Hector Berlioz, musical visionary of 19th century French music, and perhaps something of a fantasist, describes his enchantment with Goethe's Faust. His “Faustian” passion gave rise initially to Eight Scenes from Faust and then, eighteen years later, to a composition perhaps even more remarkable than his Symphonie fantastique – a “légende dramatique” that treads a fine line between oratorio and opera entitled La Damnation de Faust (The Damnation of Faust). Here, Berlioz's version of the story deviates considerably from Goethe's play, with the composer mercilessly propelling the protagonist to the gates of hell right from the start. However, before he condemns Faust forever, Berlioz applies his special brand of imagination as he takes him on numerous adventures full of twists and turns involving a series of entertaining, dramatic and, naturally, also romantic scenes. Tomáš Netopil chose this extraordinary work for mixed and children's choirs, four soloists and large orchestra for his debut at the Prague Spring as the new Chief Conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra. The main roles of Faust and Mephistopheles will be undertaken by stars of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, tenor Paul Appleby and bass Alexander Vinogradov, Marguerite will be sung by soloist at the Semperoper Dresden Štěpánka Pučálková, and the role of the student Brander will be performed by Pavel Švingr, soloist at the National Theater Opera and State Opera.

Tickets ➡️ https://bit.ly/ps2026-la-damnation-de-faust

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Symphonic Orchestra hl. Prague Symphony Orchestra
Tomáš Netopil – conductor
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Lukáš Vasilek – choirmaster/chorusmaster
Kühn’s Children’s Choir/Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir
Petr Louženský – choirmaster/chorusmaster
Paul Appleby – tenor (Faust)
Štěpánka Pučálková – mezzo-soprano (Marguerite)
Alexander Vinogradov – bass / bass (Méphistophélès)
Pavel Švingr – bass / bass (Brander)