The legend of Faust has been around for centuries, or maybe longer. We all speak blithely of ‘selling our soul to the devil’ in order to gain something or other, but would we, really? This story occupied the great German poet Goethe for more than twenty years, and the composer Schumann for half that. Five years ago, a performance of the entire play presented in Germany lasted for nearly 24 hours! Schumann did well to condense his version to just over two. And still, it’s enormous. Goethe’s version is in two parts: Schumann’s is in three, while containing all the salient points.
Faust makes a pact with Mephistopheles to regain his youth. He meets and seduces Gretchen, who bears his child, then kills it. She is condemned to death, but achieves redemption, while Mephisto reclaims Faust. That’s the more familiar part of the tale, but there’s more. Once again, Faust bargains with Mephisto, and believing that the episode with Gretchen was a dream, he embarks on adventures before falling in love with the spirit of Helen of Troy. There’s a bit of 21st century dreaming here—Faust envisions reclaiming land from the ocean—and, deluded, he falls prey to Mephisto once more. But no! The blinded Faust, in a state of bliss, instead goes to heaven.
Thanks to the program notes, we were given a small bit of insight as to just how Music Director Franz Welser-Möst always excels in these gargantuan works. He approaches the situation logistically: “…who should sing which part and where they should stand when they sing.” To an outsider, this may seem a bit simplistic. After all, that’s his job. But still, he then has to remember who is where, in addition to all the myriad other details that fall to a conductor of such a huge work. He has no other help once he’s out there on the podium, his back a ready target for the slings and arrows.
However, the program notes could also have been shortened a bit in favor of printing the text—you can’t tell the players without a scorecard, as they say, and the surtitles didn’t identify the words by the character doing the singing. Ordinarily this would not be a problem, either, but in this work there are thirty (!) solo parts, some very brief, some extensive. Even Faust gets doubled with the part of Dr. Marianus, while Gretchen becomes Una Poenitentium.
The marvelous Thomas Hampson was Faust. Mr. Hampson does not act; he becomes the character, with every gesture or facial expression elaborating on the words he sings. Or hears. Of course, he is noted for the beauty and warmth of his voice and his style, which completely exemplifies the definition of bel canto. Indeed, it is hard to imagine more beautiful singing than that done by Mr. Hampson. Near the very end of the work, accompanied by harp and solo cello, Faust (or Dr. Marianus) ascends to Heaven. As he sings the word ‘Seligkeit’ or bliss, the expression on his face was the perfect description and definition of the word. Awesome.
Juliane Banse was an appealing Gretchen, vulnerable yet strong when required. Her lovely, large soprano voice was yet delicate, as well as clear and concise, easily able to rise over the entire orchestra and chorus. Bass Alan Held was a robust Mephistopheles, Evil Spirit and Father Seraphicus. He was able to inject a steely quality into his voice, making it easy to distinguish him from the others singing at the same time. John Tessier, tenor, was both Ariel (borrowed from Shakespeare’s Tempest and Father Ecstaticus. A sweet silvery quality exists in his voice, which at times was perhaps not quite as large as needed to ride over the combined musical forces in the background.
Soprano Lee Kathleen Taylor essayed two completely different parts: Worry (who blinds Faust) and the Young Angel who guides him to heaven. In the latter scene, which takes place in moonlight, she was pure radiance, and the hushed choral singing behind her was as translucent as a moonbeam. This was perhaps the most beautiful portion of the entire work, in no small part due to Schumann’s extraordinary orchestration, which provided a very different sound than that of his usual technique.
Other soloists were Natasha Uspensky, soprano, as Distress and Magna Peccatrix; Kathryn Leemhuis, mezzo-soprano, as Marthe, Want and Mulier Samaritana; Katherine Lerner, contralto, as Guilt, Mater Gloriosa and Maria Aegyptiaca, and Curtis Streetman, bass, as Father Profundus. Soprano Sharon Shaffer and tenors Michael Sansoni and Andrew Owens assisted.
The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, with its impeccable diction and tremendous attention to dynamics was prepared by its director Robert Porco, while the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus was readied by director Ann Usher. The Orchestra was—as always—splendid, with gorgeous solos from the various principals. What a marvelous extravaganza! According to Bartleby.com, the meaning of the old saying ‘The devil is in the details’ could be ‘Even the grandest project depends on the success of the smallest components.’ Mr. Welser-Möst proved his point.
For tickets or information about upcoming concerts, call (216) 231-1111, or visit the orchestra’s web-site: http://www.ClevelandOrchestra.com
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz hidden-email:negfjevgre@nqrycuv.arg? (:divend:)