Hector Berlioz - La Damnation de Faust

Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)

La Damnation de Faust (1846)

Denés Gulyás (Faust)

Robert Lloyd (Mephistopheles)

Maria Ewing (Marguerite

Manfred Volz (Brander)

Kölner Rundfunkchor – Südfunk-Chor Stuttgart – Chor des NDR Hamburg

Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt

Eliahu Inbal

1989 Studio; digital recording

Review:

The indifference – indeed, downright hostility – accorded this work on its premiere at the Opéra Comique in 1846 is puzzling; Berlioz himself was equally baffled and disappointed. Perhaps its indeterminate, hybrid genre contributed to that reaction; he first called it a “concert opera”, then a légende dramatique, and its form lies somewhere between a cantata – or an oratorio – and an opera. An additional symphonic aspect is contributed by the three main orchestral interludes, the Marche hongroise, the Ballet des sylphes, and the Menuet des follets, which are often performed in concert as a kind of suite, while Marguerite’s “Le roi de Thulé” is more of mélodie – indeed, it is called a chanson gothique in the text, having more in common with Schubert’s Lied “Der König in Thule” – but the work equally contains identifiably operatic sections featuring major arias. It can be, and certainly has been, successfully staged but is more usually found in the concert hall.

It is, of course, based on Goethe’s Faust and reflects the themes explored by the great German writer which echoed in Berlioz’ own heart. He and two fellow librettists adapted the text, but he also made his own additions with Faust’s Invocation to Nature and the invention of a suitably harsh demonic language for the Infernal Choir in Pandaemonium. For me, it is the work most typical of Berlioz’s gift for innovation and synthesis, a heady admixture which, without fragmenting, encompasses many themes, moods and emotions: the Romantic attachment to Nature, the search for lost youth and the Ideal Woman, a Satanic pact and supernatural intervention, carousing in a tavern, a doomed love affair of seduction and betrayal, military glory, patriotism, madness, faith, damnation and salvation. This potpourri of ideas and an indeterminacy of genre are reflected in other of his major works – Roméo et Juliette, the Symphonie fantastique and Les Troyens, for example – but none combines so many of Berlioz’ idées fixes.

Like so many of Berlioz’ compositions, La damnation de Faust is technically astounding, with extraordinarily atmospheric instrumentation and tone-painting, and the deployment of fugue, harmony and counterpoint, culminating in the overwhelming Ride to the Abyss and the two Hell and Heaven scenes; Boito surely borrowed something of it for his Mefistofele which has similarly epic – and lyrical – passages.

About this recording

This is something of a sleeper in that I have always thought distinguished Israeli conductor Eliahu Inbal under-rated. Here, he directs a great orchestra and three very interesting principal singers in an excellent digital recording in the Romantic repertoire which has always been his forte. Originally issued by Denon, it is now available in a collected Berlioz bargain box set on the Brilliant label and as a separate Brilliant issue. Hungarian tenor Dénes Gulyás had a relatively brief but very successful career before entering politics and he sings rather better than several other tenors in this survey – although some of his French vowels are odd and occasionally I could do with a bit more heft. The choir is lusty and Inbal directs one of the best, most exhilarating accounts of the Marche hongroise. However, he is perhaps strongest in the lyrical interludes; the magical Scene 7 is certainly a highlight here until the students’ and soldiers’ choruses, which are too slow – but he matches and supports Gulyas’ poetic delivery of his solos. He is perhaps a little less urgent in the Ride to the Abyss and little things like the demons’ “Ha!” in the Sérénade could be more emphatic. The demons’ chorus is pretty lively but they are too remote in the sound picture.

John Quinn reviewed this back in 2013 and even-handedly weighed up its merits and failings in comparison with Colin Davis’ two recordings, coming down marginally in favour of the later version. I agree with several of his observations but much prefer Robert Lloyd’s admittedly rather nasal but imposing bass to the smaller-voiced Pertusi. His French is excellent and “Voici des roses” richly and seductively sung. I also mind less the broader acoustic given to Inbal but can hear that it keeps the chorus somewhat too distant and deprives the more vigorous passage of the impact we hear in Davis’ recordings. Manfred Volz’ brief excursion as Brander reveals him to have a nice, sturdy bass.  Like Janet Baker and Frederica von Stade, Maria Ewing has a smokier timbre than many other singers of the role of Marguerite, which can militate against sounding like an ingenue but, I think, suits Berlioz’ music better – especially Le roi de Thulé. She invests her music with deep feeling but hasn’t always the smoothest, sweetest tone despite its darker sound.