About the work
Charles Gounod's five-act grand opera, with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré after Goethe's Faust Part One, was premiered in 1859 at the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris. In German-speaking countries it has often been performed under the title Margarethe to distinguish it from Goethe's play. A revised version with added ballet music for the Paris Opéra appeared in 1869.
Plot
The aging scholar Faust, weary of a life spent in pursuit of knowledge, attempts suicide. Méphistophélès appears and offers youth, wealth, and the love of the beautiful Marguerite in exchange for his soul. Faust accepts, is rejuvenated, and seduces Marguerite. She bears his child, kills it in madness, and is imprisoned for infanticide. Her brother Valentin dies in a duel with Faust, cursing his sister with his last breath. In the final scene, Marguerite rejects both Faust and Méphistophélès and is carried up to heaven by angels as she prays for forgiveness.
Cultural significance
Faust was the most frequently performed opera in the world for much of the late nineteenth century and opened the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1883. Despite a dip in popularity during the mid-twentieth century, the work retains a secure place in the international repertoire. The Jewel Song Ah! je ris de me voir si belle remains a touchstone for lyric sopranos, and the Soldiers' Chorus is among the most recognisable opera melodies. Gounod's interpretation of Goethe has been criticised for sentimentalising the philosophical original but praised for its theatrical directness.