The standard operas, their plots and their music; . f the opera follows Goethes tragedy very closely,and is confined to the first part. It may be briefly told:Faust, an aged German student, satiated with human knowl-edge and despairing of his ability to unravel the secrets ofnature, summons the evil spirit Mephistopheles to his as-sistance, and contracts to give him his soul in exchange fora restoration to youth, Mephistopheles effects the transforma-tion, and reveals to him the vision of Marguerite, a beautifulvillage maiden, with whom Faust at once falls in love. Theyset out upon their trave
The standard operas, their plots and their music; . f the opera follows Goethes tragedy very closely,and is confined to the first part. It may be briefly told:Faust, an aged German student, satiated with human knowl-edge and despairing of his ability to unravel the secrets ofnature, summons the evil spirit Mephistopheles to his as-sistance, and contracts to give him his soul in exchange fora restoration to youth, Mephistopheles effects the transforma-tion, and reveals to him the vision of Marguerite, a beautifulvillage maiden, with whom Faust at once falls in love. Theyset out upon their travels and encounter her at the has been left by her brother Valentin, a soldier, in careof Dame Martha, who proves herself a careless first meeting is a casual one; but subsequently he findsher in her garden, and with the help of the subtle Mephis-topheles succeeds in engaging the young girls affection. Hersimple lover, Siebel, is discarded, and his nosegay is thrownaway at sight of the jewels with which Faust tempts Melba as Marguerite Copyright, Aiuie Dupont GOUNOD 115 When Valentin returns from the wars he learns of hertemptation and subsequent ruin. He challenges the seducer,and in the encounter is slain by the intervention of Mephis-topheles. Overcome by the horror of her situation. Margueritebecomes insane, and in her frenzy kills her child. She isthrown into prison, where Faust and Mephistopheles find urges her to fly with them, but she refuses, and placesher reliance for salvation upon earnest prayer, and sorrowfor the wrong she has done. Pleading for forgiveness, sheexpires; and as Mephistopheles exults at the catastrophe hehas wrought, angels appear amid the music of the celestialchoirs and bear the sufferer to heaven. The first act is in the nature of a prelude, and opens witha long soliloquy ( Interrogo invano ) by Faust, in whichhe laments the unsatisfactoriness of life. It is interwovenwith delightful snatches of chorus he
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Keywords: ., bookauthorupt, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectoperas
