Margarethe (Faust)

In the organizer's words:

Opera in four acts // Music by Charles Gounod // Libretto after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used the case of Susanna Margareta Brandt, who was executed in 1772 for infanticide after becoming pregnant out of wedlock and killing her child out of panic of social ostracism, as the basis for the Gretchen plot within his human drama Faust. Part One of the Tragedy (1808). In his production, director Anthony Pilavachi examines the development of this multi-layered female character, who is destroyed by her seductiveness. "Anthony Pilavachi once again succeeds in creating an absolutely convincing directorial work!" (Der Opernfreund) or "Everyone freaks out with Margarethe!" (Rheinische Post) was the verdict of the press after the Krefeld premiere last season.

Numerous composers have set the Faust material to music for the stage: Louis Spohr (1816), Hector Berlioz (1846) and Ferruccio Busoni (1925) are among them. However, the most frequently performed version is certainly by Charles Gounod (1859). His captivating and multi-layered composition transports us into the romantic feelings of Faust's desire for love, illustrates the sinister temptations of the devil and empathizes with Margaret's suffering. Gounod's music demonstrates a perfect balance between dramatic climaxes and lyrical passages.