Il m'aime

Irina Lungu as Marguerite performs 'Il m'aime' from The Royal Opera's Faust. David McVicar’s spectacular production of Gounod’s masterpiece is available to stream until 13 February 2022. Stream here:
Gounod's Faust (1859) was one of the world's most popular operas from the 1860s to World War II, and remains a core repertory work. The story, adapted by Gounod's librettists Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, is based on Part I of Goethe's epic poem Faust, which was a major inspiration for many composers during the 19th century and beyond. Gounod added a ballet to Act V when Faust received its first Paris Opéra staging in 1869.

David McVicar's wonderfully theatrical production draws insightful parallels between Faust and Gounod, a composer torn between piety and worldly and romantic success. Sets and costumes by Charles Edwards and Brigitte Reiffenstuel pay tribute to the art and architecture of 1870s Paris, and include a colourful Cabaret d'Enfer, a run-down tenement block and re-creations of a box from the Paris Opéra and the organ loft of Notre-Dame. Starring Michael Fabiano as Faust, Erwin Schrott as the devil Méphistophélès and Irina Lungu as Marguerite, the opera includes such highlights as the devil’s demonic aria 'Le veau d'or', Marguerite's dazzling coloratura Jewel Song, the Act IV Soldiers' Chorus, and Act V's impassioned trio as Marguerite struggles to achieve salvation.

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