Berlioz apparently couldn’t decide if his La damnation de Faust was an oratorio or an opera, so he labeled it a “légende dramatique.”  Since its 1846 Paris premiere, it remains on both opera stages and in concert halls, with its first Met staging in 1906. 

I as well had difficulty deciding which performance to post this week.  I have two broadcasts with Jonas Kaufmann as Faust from 2002 and from 2015.  Ultimately, it was Susan Graham’s Marguerite that led me to choose the 2002 performance, which also offers the opportunity to hear Kaufmann at age 32, a number of years before his rise to international superstardom.

Ever since I heard Shirley Verrett’s “D’amour l’ardente flame” on an old RCA LP in the 1960s, the aria has been one of my favorites, and I found myself unable to get it out of my heard in the last week while preparing this upload.  I listened to Graham’s painfully gorgeous rendition it at least 20 times.  For personal and geographical reasons, I missed out on much of her career, and am now looking forward to catching up.

Of course, it is interesting to hear the difference between 2002 Kaufmann and 2016 Kaufmann.  I will leave you to analyze the transition in his vocal production.

A special treat is the Méphistophélès of José van Dam, one of the greatest vocal interpreters of out time.  I was lucky to have heard him many times from his Met debut as Escamillo and unforgettable performances there as Golaud (a role which he “owned” for 30 years), and as recently as 2008 when he jumped in on a few days’ notice for an ailing Michael Schade and sang a breathtaking Liederabend at Theater an der Wien, highlighted by Schuman’s Dichterliebe, in absolutely resplendent voice at 67.

Antonio Pappano is no slouch on the podium, and makes a strong case for the work.  While it may suffer from an identity crisis, La damnation de Faust shows Berlioz at his innovative and eccentric best.

Hector Berlioz: La damnation de Faust

Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie
Antonio Pappano, conductor
18 June 2002

Faust – Jonas Kaufmann
Marguerite – Susan Graham
Méphistophélès – José van Dam
Brander – Henry Waddington

Photo: B Ealovega