Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met’s inadvertent concert presentation of Berlioz’s LA DAMNATION DE FAUST proves sonically glorious

• By drediman
• January 28, 2020
• No Comments

Ildar Abdrazakov sings and Edward Gardner conducts the concert staging of Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo by Ken Howard.

This past weekend, I attended the opening performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s inadvertent concert presentation of Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust. I say inadvertent because the opera company had originally planned to remount Robert Lepage’s high-tech, pre-“Ring” staging of the opera. But when the Met deemed that the technical requirements of the projection-heavy production were too cumbersome, it opted instead to truncate the run to only four performances (therefore lengthening the run of the hit new staging of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess) and present a simply-staged concert presentation of La Damnation de Faust.

The opera is Berlioz’s strange but seductive attempt – part oratorio, part grand opera – at interpreting the Faust legend. The composer’s orchestral writing bursts with color, and experiencing it on its own, unencumbered by the bells and whistles of Lepage’s production, was a unique and unexpected treat. The indisputable stars of the performance were conductor Edward Gardner and the Met Orchestra. Together, they were terribly exciting, sensationally lurid in the gothic segments of the score, and ecstatically transcendent when it depicts nature and the sacred. In the past, I’ve occasionally had issues with the spotty and impersonal acoustics of the Metropolitan Opera House, but this weekend’s performance was sonically glorious (perhaps thanks to the stage’s concert set-up). Who needs sets and costumes with orchestrations and playing this passionate and articulate. Sometimes less is more, even if by accident.

The performances were equally notable. In the title role, tenor Bryan Hymel was in great vocal shape. His weightier tenor, which sounded rich and full, fit the role of the existentially troubled Faust ideally. As his Méphistophélèes, charismatic bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov was not quite as constantly strong. He started off the performance seeming a little underpowered and tight. However, as the performance unfolded, he grew in confidence, ultimately proving compellingly seductive in the role, both vocally and dramatically. And as always, he cut quite the dashing and striking figure on the stage. As Faust’s brief lover Marguerite, mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča was in luscious voice throughout the afternoon, particularly in her aria “Autrefois un roi de Thule”. Backing the cast robustly was the always excellent Met Chorus, who had plenty of opportunities to shine, which they did.

RECOMMENDED

LA DAMNATION DE FAUST
Opera
The Metropolitan Opera
2 hours, 40 minutes (with one intermission)
In repertory through February 8