On Nov. 8, the Teatro alla Scala is set to present Gounod’s “Faust” on La Scala TV. The new production, which will be conducted by Daniele Rustioni, will be directed by Johannes Erath. The new production is a co-production with the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Fundació de la Comunitat Valenciana, Staatsoper Unter den Linden and Teatro Real, Madrid. The {…}
Bass John Relyea is set to make his Houston Grand Opera debut as Mephistopheles in Gounod’s “Faust” this October. He will take over for bass-baritone Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, who has withdrawn because of a family emergency. Relyea will sing the role in all five performances, which run from Oct. 30 to Nov. 15 at the Wortham Theater Center. He has performed {…}
(Image source: Official Les Arts Website) Palau de Les Arts opened its 2025-26 season with a brand-new production of “Faust,” coproduced with La Scala de Milán, Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin, and Teatro Real Madrid. Les Arts continues to maintain a classical repertoire. Despite being a young institution, which opened just 20 years ago, it is the second time that {…}
The Verdi Chorus is set to launch its 2025-26 season with a performance of scenes from “Faust.” The concert will feature music by Berlioz, Gounod, and Boito with such soloists as Jessica Tivens-Schneiderman, Alex Boyer, and Gabriel Manro. Conductor Anne Marie Ketchum noted that her inspiration for the program was derived from visiting the birthplace of German writer and poet {…}
Village Opera in New York City will present “Faust” on August 22, 2025. Led by conductor Felix Jarrar, the performance will star Eric Botto in the title role alongside Maria Brea as Marguerite, Clay Thompson as Méphistophélès, Joseph Canuto Leon as Valentin, Christina Maria Esser as Siebel, Evan Fleming as Wagner, and Brooke Larimer as Martha. The performance will take {…}
(Credit: ©2025 Marc Brenner) This David McVicar production of “Faust” is its sixth incarnation. It is a cornucopia of demonic dabbling and delightful witticism combined with some rather dark, if not thoroughly perturbing, moments; balanced with some stellar acting and some pretty glorious singing! Under revival director Peter Relton we are presented here with a gamut of prancing devils, cabaret girls {…}
(Photo: Ansa Matteo Corner) This Monday, the long-awaited press conference was held to unveil the Teatro alla Scala’s 2025–26 season. The lineup promises to shine with big names, new productions, and ambitious projects. That’s why we’re bringing you a Top five list of the unmissable highlights of the new season! Number 1: A Bold Opening As tradition dictates, the season {…}
Let’s briefly address the elephant or rather demon in this particular review, as it were. Namely, what is it with the fascination of so many 19th century composers with this classic Romantic literature – often considered the greatest work of German literature – Goethe’s “Faust”? There is Hector Berlioz’s masterpiece, “La damnation de Faust”, which I recently reviewed in a {…}
On a cold and dark November 18th, Detroit Opera [DO] performed the penultimate opera of their 2021/2022 season: Charles Gounod’s celebrated opera Faust. An immortal tale of deception and redemption, this operatic classic promised audiences a night of heavy allegories. Using Director Lileana Blain-Cruz’s 2019 version, originally created for Opera Omaha’s production, with movement curated by dancer and choreographer Raja {…}
The Greek National Opera will present a revival of its 2012 production of “Faust” starting on April 6, 2022. The production, which will take place at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, will be directed by Renato Zanella, an Italian choreographer, who was artistic director of the Vienna State Opera Ballet, and who will move the action of the famed Gounod {…}
(Credit: Wiener Staatsoper official website) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced the slate of operas that it will be presenting on its streaming platform over the next week. First up is a performance of Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” from 2016 which will showcase Valentina Naforniţă, Stephen Costello, Marco Caria, and Erwin Schrott. Marco Armiliato conducts a production by Otto Schenk. Streaming date: {…}