Faust is a lyric drama in five acts by Charles Gounod on a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on the play Faust and Marguerite by Michel Carré, in turn taken from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust.
Conductor is Frédéric Chaslin, directed by Joan Anton Rechi, new staging of the Teatro La Fenice Foundation in co-production with Teatro Comunale di Bologna.
Plot: The work is set in the sixteenth century in Germany. Dr. Faust attempts suicide. He invokes the demon Mephistopheles who offers him fortune and wealth, but in return he wants his soul. Faust is disturbed by this request, and the devil shows him the beautiful Margherita, for which Faust immediately signs the agreement. Before leaving for the war, Valentino entrusts his sister Margherita to the care of his friend Siebel. Faust meets Margherita, but she rejects the professions of love of Faust who asks for help from Mephistopheles, who assures him new spells. Once found Margherita alone, Faust declares her love again, and this time Margherita returns it. Faust would like to enjoy this beautiful moment by moving away but Mephistopheles holds him back and walks away. Margherita desperate from the abandonment of Faust takes refuge in a church. Returning from the war, Valentino learns from Siebel what happened to his sister and challenges his sister’s seducer to a duel but since Faust is protected by Mephistopheles he wins the duel. Valentino is wounded but curses Margherita before he dies. Mephistopheles leads Faust into his kingdom and shows him his splendid palace while the ancient courtesans try with their temptations to make Faust forget his past worries. Mephistopheles leads him to Margaret, who lies in desperate prison for having killed her son: for this she will be executed at dawn. But when Margherita sees Mephistopheles, she invokes the heavenly powers, and dies.
Website: www.teatrolafenice.it
Location: La Fenice Theatre, Venice
Schedule: from May 22nd to 30th 2020
Hour: 7.00 pm – 3.30 pm Saturday & Sundays
Ticket: up to € 230
