Vienna Opera Tickets

Loosely based on Faust, Goethe's tragic play, Hector Berlioz's musical vision for La Damnation de Faust often defies a conventional classification. This staging at the Vienna State Opera draws out all of the operatic elements present in the so-called légende dramatique, a term that the composer himself coined for the work. At times an opera and at times something closer to an oratorio with elements of a cantata thrown in, La Damnation de Faust is scored for four solo vocalists, a full chorus as well as a large children's chorus and an orchestra. Audiences have been astounded by its dramatic power and unique musical style for well over a century.

When La Damnation de Faust was first performed on 6 December 1846 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, the public was left somewhat confused. Berlioz’s novel approach to instrumentation meant that the orchestra produced sounds that had never been heard before. Although many of the composer's contemporaries regarded him as a genius, the general reaction to the work was not encouraging. Following a couple of poorly received performances with low attendances, the remaining planned one was cancelled. Nevertheless, interest in the work persisted and it was subsequently staged as a more conventional opera, the first time being on 18 February 1893 at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Since then, its popularity has gone on to grow with notable productions around the globe.

Berlioz's work tells the story of Faust, an ageing scholar who has become bored by his academic work. At this point, Méphistophélès, an incarnation of the devil disguised as a respectable gentleman, tempts Faust into giving up his studies and pursuing a life of pleasure instead. Thanks to Méphistophélès, he meets and falls in love with a young woman named Marguerite. Fearing her mother will disapprove of their burgeoning relationship, Marguerite obtains a sleeping potion from Méphistophélès. Events take a turn for the worse when Marguerite, whether knowingly or not, kills her mother, having administered the potion. She is later imprisoned which places Faust in a dilemma. He thinks he will be able to save her but at what cost to his soul?

Although La Damnation de Faust might not have been an instant success, this was largely due to Berlioz's musical innovations. Simply put, he was ahead of his time, a view that many modern musicologists share. For contemporary audiences, including those at the Wiener Staatsoper who get to see this operatic production of the work, La Damnation de Faust constitutes a musical tour de force, an imaginative journey which focuses on temptation, corruption and redemption as eternal themes that echo through the ages.