MEFISTOFELE: ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC OPERAS

This opera tackles the biggest themes in all of art: heaven and hell, salvation and redemption, and the power of human agency versus the power of heaven.

HISTORY

The wicked demon Mefistofele makes a bet with the Forces of Good that he can steal the soul of Faust, a scholar from Frankfurt. The demon persuades Faust to sign his soul over to the devil, but at the last moment Good wins.
Written in the mid nineteenth century by Boito, this opera was seen as dangerously avant garde in its time, and today is a greatly acclaimed work of operatic art. In the traditional version of the story, Faust's soul is lost and he goes to hell. Boito's work thus represents an exciting revision of the ideas of redemption associated with the tale of Faust.

Act 1

The demon Mefistofele wagers with God that he will be able to snare the soul of a scholar called Faust. God accepts the bet. Walking through Frankfurt during the Easter celebrations, Faust and his pupil Wagner notice that they are being followed by a sinister figure dressed as a friar. This 'friar' turns out to be none other than the demon, who persuades Faust to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for worldly bliss during his lifetime.

Act 2

Faust seduces a peasant girl called Margareta. The demon takes Faust to a witches' Sabbath, where they both participate in devilish rituals and celebrations. At the end of the ritual, Faust sees what he believes to be Margareta imprisoned in chains with a wound in her throat. He is horrified, but the demon tries to persuade him that it was just a hallucination.

Act 3

Faust discovers that his vision of Margareta was in fact reality. She is drugged and imprisoned in a cell. When she sees the demon standing next to Faust, she begs for forgiveness from God. A heavenly choir sings that she has been redeemed.

Act 4

The demon takes Faust back in time to Ancient Greece. Here, Faust meets Helen of Troy: famously the most beautiful woman ever to have lived. Helen and Faust fall in love, and enjoy a variety of worldly pleasures, provided for them by the demon.

-Epilog

Faust is now an old man. He reflects on his life and on redemption as the demon tries to persuade him to embark upon more and more worldly pleasures. Eventually, Faust grasps his Bible and begins to pray. A celestial choir sings as Faust's soul is redeemed. The demon has lost his bet.

MAIN ROLES

Elena (Helen of Troy), the most beautiful woman to have ever lived, soprano
Faust, a scholar, baritone
Margereta, a peasant girl seduced by Faust, soprano
Mefistofele, a demon from hell, bass
Pantalis, Helen of Troy's companion, contralto
Wagner, Faust's pupil, tenor