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Faust in Full Score
Charles Gounod's interpretation is the best-known and most frequently performed of any stage or orchestral treatment of the Faust legend. Long a staple of the operatic repertoire, Faust was a major success upon its first fully realized performance at Milan's La Scala in 1862. The opera's lyricism, tremendous variety of mood and orchestral color, and subtle delineation of character continue to delight generations of concertgoers.
Now opera lovers can study and enjoy the complete masterpiece in this attractive and inexpensive volume, which has been reprinted from an authoritative edition. Despite the frequency of its performances, Gounod's work is hard to find in print, so this rare edition of the full score constitutes a treasure for conductors, performers, and music majors alike.
Now opera lovers can study and enjoy the complete masterpiece in this attractive and inexpensive volume, which has been reprinted from an authoritative edition. Despite the frequency of its performances, Gounod's work is hard to find in print, so this rare edition of the full score constitutes a treasure for conductors, performers, and music majors alike.
- GenresMusic
560 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 1859
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About the author
Charles Gounod
363 books7 followersBiography taken from "The Oxford Companion to Music" ed. Percy A. Scholes (4th ed. 1941)
He inherited music from his mother, who was a fine pianist, worked at the Paris Conservatory, and won the Rome Prize. (Prix de Rome) At Rome he studied church music with particular interest, especially from the sixteenth century.
On his return to Paris, he became an organist and studied with a view to the priesthood, which, however, he never entered. His "Solemn Mass" which (or part of which) had its earliest performance in London, in 1851, first brought him the publicity. He was then thirty-four.
A few months laters the opera "Sappho" was produced in Paris. The work which was to bring him real fame was of course, "Faust", which appeared eight years later (1859). It shows real stage-skill and flowing melody and these have made it one of the most popular operas ever written. ... When first performed, critics wrote it was far more advanced than his previous compositions, one critic even doubted Gounod's ability to compose it. The critic was challenged to a duel and forced to withdraw his allegation.
Other operas were also written ("Romeo and Juliet" is well known), and a symphony or two had an ephemeral career. There were, further, a number of oratorios, many devout songs, and popular pieces such as the "Funeral March of a Marionette" and the "Ave Maria" (i.e. the "Meditation" on Bach's Prelude in C.
The oratorios were popular in England where Gound stayed for five years during the Franco-Prussian War, returning to France in 1875.
Gounod was one of the few composers appreciated during their lifetime.
He inherited music from his mother, who was a fine pianist, worked at the Paris Conservatory, and won the Rome Prize. (Prix de Rome) At Rome he studied church music with particular interest, especially from the sixteenth century.
On his return to Paris, he became an organist and studied with a view to the priesthood, which, however, he never entered. His "Solemn Mass" which (or part of which) had its earliest performance in London, in 1851, first brought him the publicity. He was then thirty-four.
A few months laters the opera "Sappho" was produced in Paris. The work which was to bring him real fame was of course, "Faust", which appeared eight years later (1859). It shows real stage-skill and flowing melody and these have made it one of the most popular operas ever written. ... When first performed, critics wrote it was far more advanced than his previous compositions, one critic even doubted Gounod's ability to compose it. The critic was challenged to a duel and forced to withdraw his allegation.
Other operas were also written ("Romeo and Juliet" is well known), and a symphony or two had an ephemeral career. There were, further, a number of oratorios, many devout songs, and popular pieces such as the "Funeral March of a Marionette" and the "Ave Maria" (i.e. the "Meditation" on Bach's Prelude in C.
The oratorios were popular in England where Gound stayed for five years during the Franco-Prussian War, returning to France in 1875.
Gounod was one of the few composers appreciated during their lifetime.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 24, 2025
Per quante parole si possano spendere in lode della bellezza e dell'armonia del canto, per quanto ci si possa perdere nell'ascolto della canzone di Thulé («Il était un roi de Thulé») o dell'aria dei fiori di Siebel («Faites-lui mes aveux»), o ancora della ronda del vitello d'oro di Mefistofele («Le veau d'or est toujours debout»); lacrime non basterebbero mai a distoglier la mente da quel che, fin da principio, da di sé sospetto: ovvero che quel che si sta ascoltando non sia affatto un Faust.
Gounod si rifà esclusivamente al Faust goethiano, e di questo si limita a cogliere quell'episodio ch'è in Goethe assolutamente originale: l'amore per Margherita. Il quale tuttavia, così astratto dal suo contesto, così sviscerato, perde ogni ambizione di profondità: Faust non è più il dottore divorato fra un immenso titanismo ed i limiti dell'umano, bensì un goffo don Giovanni che per un soffio di giovinezza, butta l'anima al diavolo. E venuto meno il confronto, vien meno Margherita stessa, ora passiva "fanciulla pura", laddove prima era il profondo emblema della semplice vita, della fede ch'eleva moralmente persino al di sopra delle altissime vette della rovinosa profondità del dottor Faust.
Laddove quindi non si può certo muovere critica alcuna alla musica e alla bellezza dell'opera, anche non ci si può astenere dal notare come il libretto smarrisca, immerso com'è dei classici temi amorosi, il vero cuore del Faust: e col Faust affonda Margherita.
Gounod si rifà esclusivamente al Faust goethiano, e di questo si limita a cogliere quell'episodio ch'è in Goethe assolutamente originale: l'amore per Margherita. Il quale tuttavia, così astratto dal suo contesto, così sviscerato, perde ogni ambizione di profondità: Faust non è più il dottore divorato fra un immenso titanismo ed i limiti dell'umano, bensì un goffo don Giovanni che per un soffio di giovinezza, butta l'anima al diavolo. E venuto meno il confronto, vien meno Margherita stessa, ora passiva "fanciulla pura", laddove prima era il profondo emblema della semplice vita, della fede ch'eleva moralmente persino al di sopra delle altissime vette della rovinosa profondità del dottor Faust.
Laddove quindi non si può certo muovere critica alcuna alla musica e alla bellezza dell'opera, anche non ci si può astenere dal notare come il libretto smarrisca, immerso com'è dei classici temi amorosi, il vero cuore del Faust: e col Faust affonda Margherita.
April 27, 2022
MÁS MARGARITA QUE FAUSTO
Lo que me llevó a revisar este material fue su referencia en "El fantasma de la ópera" de Leroux. Sin saber demasiado de música, he de decir que me gustó más que el guión, mismo que fue escrito por Jules Barbier y Michel Carrier a mediados del siglo XIX. La ópera se inspira en el título de Goethe con el mismo nombre.
Esperaba más del texto, pero la leyenda del Dr. Fausto se ve muy desdibujada, un tratamiento muy superficial en el cual el conflicto de Fausto se asoma apenas (y a penas) un poco al inicio, cuando es seducido por la propuesta de Mefistófeles, que lo termina de convencer cuando le muestra a Margarita, y entonces todo parece girar en torno a ella. De hecho, en Alemania a esta ópera se anuncia como "Marguerite".
Por otra parte, la colección "Los Clásicos de la Ópera: 400 años" conmemoró 4 siglos desde el estreno del "Orfeo" de Monteverdi, se conformó de 25 volúmenes con las óperas que se consideran más emblemáticas, con compositores y elencos históricos. Se incluye también en estas ediciones una historia de la ópera fragmentada a lo largo de todos los fascículos. Una colección notable. La inclusión de Fausto de Gounod se justifica al ser una de las óperas francesas más populares, y que además respondió a las demandas de su contexto, razón por la cual no se profundizó tanto en el conflicto metafísico y moral de Dr. Fausto. En la música se aprecia la influencia teológica y sacra de Gounod que también sería notable en su famosa "Ave María" y en el himno del Vaticano.
Lo que me llevó a revisar este material fue su referencia en "El fantasma de la ópera" de Leroux. Sin saber demasiado de música, he de decir que me gustó más que el guión, mismo que fue escrito por Jules Barbier y Michel Carrier a mediados del siglo XIX. La ópera se inspira en el título de Goethe con el mismo nombre.
Esperaba más del texto, pero la leyenda del Dr. Fausto se ve muy desdibujada, un tratamiento muy superficial en el cual el conflicto de Fausto se asoma apenas (y a penas) un poco al inicio, cuando es seducido por la propuesta de Mefistófeles, que lo termina de convencer cuando le muestra a Margarita, y entonces todo parece girar en torno a ella. De hecho, en Alemania a esta ópera se anuncia como "Marguerite".
Por otra parte, la colección "Los Clásicos de la Ópera: 400 años" conmemoró 4 siglos desde el estreno del "Orfeo" de Monteverdi, se conformó de 25 volúmenes con las óperas que se consideran más emblemáticas, con compositores y elencos históricos. Se incluye también en estas ediciones una historia de la ópera fragmentada a lo largo de todos los fascículos. Una colección notable. La inclusión de Fausto de Gounod se justifica al ser una de las óperas francesas más populares, y que además respondió a las demandas de su contexto, razón por la cual no se profundizó tanto en el conflicto metafísico y moral de Dr. Fausto. En la música se aprecia la influencia teológica y sacra de Gounod que también sería notable en su famosa "Ave María" y en el himno del Vaticano.
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