Rating: 
Summary: BDSM Opera Staging
Review: Between the trinatron cylinder occupying the center of the stage to the faux rubber/leather costumes of the performers one can deduce that this is indeed a Euro-kink production of Berlioz' most melodic and underrated Symphony/Opera.But despite the bizzare treatment, it works. In fact it works very well. In fact the only complaint I have is the conductors insistance on playing certain pieces particularly slow....a bit of a nusance. But all in all a disc well worth the price. Best of all is to see the interpretation of Berlioz' incredible music visually. While it dispenses with the stereotypical romantic visuals of flowers, forests, stone clad homes, wide reaching vistas. The music supplies these elements in the sublimely minimalist production. The music afterall is meant to suggest the emotional romantic canvas that our hero Faust exhists in. The minimalist production supports Fausts individual crisis. Creating a somewhat Terry Gilliam "Brazil" like approach to his struggle and eventual demise. Watch and enjoy. You may need to view it a couple of times. But it is worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Effective Presentation
Review: I agree largely with other reviewers regarding the stage sets which can be bizarre. But I personally find the choreography intriging, powerfully symbolic. One reviewer pointed out the various symbolic subjects used such as using milk bottles carrying Faust's psychic , his clothes changing to dark jacket that matches Mephisto's, meaning that he is gradually being drawn to hell. If I have not known that the music was not originally for staging I would have thought the Damnation of Faust was an opera because it works so well as a stage performance. True, there are silly moments when the dancers never appear during the ballet music. They never ride on horses and scenary described in the lyrics does not match the stage. But the visual effects on the cylinder furnace,especially when Faust fell to Hell and the scene where some ugly devils were shown doing some rock climbing (yes I think stunt men were used, including one for Faust as he fell into Hell). The use of a gigantic cylinder as a furnace to make/ or recycle souls is relly interesting, though I wonder how much it costs to stage it together with the special effects, and I wonder how much the audience can see because singers are often hidden somewhere in the cylinder. Indeed I wonder how the sound projects out of the cylinder when the singers sing from inside, especially when there is a scene in which Faust is trapped inside a narrow transparent tube as he continues to sing. No problems when seeing this DVD, as the vocals are well projected and recorded, though they are too forwardly balanced (the orchestra seems to have been at the backgraound, and if I adjust the volume so the orhcestra is loud enough, vocal seems too loud). Orchestra playing is fine though the Hungarian March is strangely quiet and tame (not wild at all) Perhaps the orchestra was not warm up and it seems true that as the performance moves on, the orchestra sounds better and louder. Singers are all great, and how can one not admire the solo sung by a boy in the choir during the Epilogue. Everone look appropriate for their age. Some may prefer a more delicate, more FRENCH Marguerite than Kasarova, who though looks attractive and sings with great expression sounds at times too powerful, like a Wagnerian Heroine. All in all, a great achievement in bringing this Legende Dramatique vividly on stage. A must for those fascinated with modern/symbolic staging rather some boring traditional mountains, grassland and ancient costumes etc. Woudl be a five star if they can fix the balance with the orchestra
Rating:
Summary: Innovative staging with vivid imagination and symbolism
Review: I agree largely with other reviewers regarding the stage sets which can be bizarre. But I personally find the choreography intriging, powerfully symbolic. One reviewer pointed out the various symbolic subjects used such as using milk bottles carrying Faust's psychic , his clothes changing to dark jacket that matches Mephisto's, meaning that he is gradually being drawn to hell. If I have not known that the music was not originally for staging I would have thought the Damnation of Faust was an opera because it works so well as a stage performance. True, there are silly moments when the dancers never appear during the ballet music. They never ride on horses and scenary described in the lyrics does not match the stage. But the visual effects on the cylinder furnace,especially when Faust fell to Hell and the scene where some ugly devils were shown doing some rock climbing (yes I think stunt men were used, including one for Faust as he fell into Hell). The use of a gigantic cylinder as a furnace to make/ or recycle souls is relly interesting, though I wonder how much it costs to stage it together with the special effects, and I wonder how much the audience can see because singers are often hidden somewhere in the cylinder. Indeed I wonder how the sound projects out of the cylinder when the singers sing from inside, especially when there is a scene in which Faust is trapped inside a narrow transparent tube as he continues to sing. No problems when seeing this DVD, as the vocals are well projected and recorded, though they are too forwardly balanced (the orchestra seems to have been at the backgraound, and if I adjust the volume so the orhcestra is loud enough, vocal seems too loud). Orchestra playing is fine though the Hungarian March is strangely quiet and tame (not wild at all) Perhaps the orchestra was not warm up and it seems true that as the performance moves on, the orchestra sounds better and louder. Singers are all great, and how can one not admire the solo sung by a boy in the choir during the Epilogue. Everone look appropriate for their age. Some may prefer a more delicate, more FRENCH Marguerite than Kasarova, who though looks attractive and sings with great expression sounds at times too powerful, like a Wagnerian Heroine. All in all, a great achievement in bringing this Legende Dramatique vividly on stage. A must for those fascinated with modern/symbolic staging rather some boring traditional mountains, grassland and ancient costumes etc. Woudl be a five star if they can fix the balance with the orchestra
Rating:
Summary: A Stunning Visual Presentation
Review: I have known this work most of my (long) life and often speculated with friends about how best to stage it; back in the day there were almost no stagings to see. We pretty much concluded that only a special effects film could do it justice! However, in this DVD my wife and I found thrills aplenty and must take issue with most of the negative criticism here and elsewhere; the shift is apparently to some kind of post-industrial hell, fair enough. But the problem always has been to provide stage action during long stretches of music since there are no original stage directions and much space to fill. I found this phantasmagoric blend of monumental sets and video projections to be absorbing, thought-provoking, and ultimately thrilling. I feel that the usual Berliozian drug-induced fantasies with universal themes leave the field open to a broad range of interpretations, this as valid as any. I do agree that I have heard better musical interpretations (get the original Munch/BSO recording) but that did not seriously spoil the overall pleasureable experience. I was looking for a stunner of a visual experience in this and was not disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Stunning Visual Presentation
Review: I have known this work most of my (long) life and often speculated with friends about how best to stage it; back in the day there were almost no stagings to see. We pretty much concluded that only a special effects film could do it justice! However, in this DVD my wife and I found thrills aplenty and must take issue with most of the negative criticism here and elsewhere; the shift is apparently to some kind of post-industrial hell, fair enough. But the problem always has been to provide stage action during long stretches of music since there are no original stage directions and much space to fill. I found this phantasmagoric blend of monumental sets and video projections to be absorbing, thought-provoking, and ultimately thrilling. I feel that the usual Berliozian drug-induced fantasies with universal themes leave the field open to a broad range of interpretations, this as valid as any. I do agree that I have heard better musical interpretations (get the original Munch/BSO recording) but that did not seriously spoil the overall pleasureable experience. I was looking for a stunner of a visual experience in this and was not disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid this DVD is you like Berlioz
Review: I recently bought this DVD and it is very disappointing in just about any way I can think of. Before I would have thought it impossible to make a boring DVD of Damnation but they did it. The singers are uninteresting and hammy, often looking into nothingness with vacant looks of ____ (insert shock, love, awe, horror, or embarassment). Average pitch and diction. The English subtitles are adequate. The tempi are all slower than normal, managing to lose all excitement. The opening scene through the march is leaden and the ride to hell ambles along at a walk. The live recording has all the technical warmth of an amateur performace recorded in a barn. The less said about the setting the better. The graphics and images have little resemblance to the music. Especially bad is the ride to hell. (and to hell it should go!) Repeated clumsy CGI of a horse and a piston. A horse and pistion when the Berlioz calls for bats, nightbirds, a hideous beast, skeletons, clouds, an army of demons and a rain of blood. Heady stuff but you get a horse and piston with Faust and Mephistofeles standing above the fray pointing at nothing.
Goodwill, here it comes. The rattling sound from Montemart is Berlioz rolling over in his grave.
Rating:
Summary: Avoid this DVD is you like Berlioz
Review: I recently bought this DVD and it is very disappointing in just about any way I can think of. Before I would have thought it impossible to make a boring DVD of Damnation but they did it. The singers are uninteresting and hammy, often looking into nothingness with vacant looks of ____ (insert shock, love, awe, horror, or embarassment). Average pitch and diction. The English subtitles are adequate. The tempi are all slower than normal, managing to lose all excitement. The opening scene through the march is leaden and the ride to hell ambles along at a walk. The live recording has all the technical warmth of an amateur performace recorded in a barn. The less said about the setting the better. The graphics and images have little resemblance to the music. Especially bad is the ride to hell. (and to hell it should go!) Repeated clumsy CGI of a horse and a piston. A horse and pistion when the Berlioz calls for bats, nightbirds, a hideous beast, skeletons, clouds, an army of demons and a rain of blood. Heady stuff but you get a horse and piston with Faust and Mephistofeles standing above the fray pointing at nothing.
Goodwill, here it comes. The rattling sound from Montemart is Berlioz rolling over in his grave.
Rating:
Summary: Enough Symbolism Already
Review: I was eagerly looking forward to La Damnation de Faust recorded at the 1999 Salzberg Festival. All indications pointed to a rousing Berlioz event, and musically it was not disappointing at all. Regretably in this case the symbolism overrides the plot, and there is nothing left to appreciate but the music. People in white costumes, playing soccer? The same people moving some indiscript machine around the stage to represent the war machine in the "Hungarian March"? A bald red-headed Mephisto? No dancing in the ballets? In places I closed my eyes and just listened. A decade ago I saw a similar "Damnation of Faust" presented by a Philadelphia opera company, and it was just as mind numbing and illogical as this production. When the Faust story cannot stand on its own, without this constant re-interpretation it will cease to be a classic, and that will never happen. There's nothing wrong with symbolism, unless it gets in the way of the story. Why can't the story be "symbolic friendly" without jerking Faust out of the middle ages into some nebulous environment where it is impossible for the tale to unfolded as it was written? Berlioz never intended this version of Faust to be presented as a staged opera. On his first trip to London the empressario Julien, made an offer for him to convert it into an opera, but that fell through. He would have obviously changed some things had he done so. The technical problems presented by "La Damnation de Faust", especially the Ride to the Abyss make it very difficult to stage effectively, although the Salzberg production did a fair job technically, utilizing a large cylinder where some of the action took place. However, my suggestion is that until someone can do it right, leave the piece alone. The human mind is still the best stage for this remarkable work. The singing was very good, the orchestra played the piece the way Berlioz should be played, and the sound was excellent. And a big plus is the 5.1 Dolby Digital - that alone is worth the price of the DVD. My only quibble with the sound was in the Hungarian March where the bass drum representing distant cannon fire was barely audible. I rate this version 4 stars for the music and the sound. You might find the staging amusing; just don't let it distract you from the music.
Rating:
Summary: Enough Symbolism Already
Review: I was eagerly looking forward to La Damnation de Faust recorded at the 1999 Salzberg Festival. All indications pointed to a rousing Berlioz event, and musically it was not disappointing at all. Regretably in this case the symbolism overrides the plot, and there is nothing left to appreciate but the music. People in white costumes, playing soccer? The same people moving some indiscript machine around the stage to represent the war machine in the "Hungarian March"? A bald red-headed Mephisto? No dancing in the ballets? In places I closed my eyes and just listened. A decade ago I saw a similar "Damnation of Faust" presented by a Philadelphia opera company, and it was just as mind numbing and illogical as this production. When the Faust story cannot stand on its own, without this constant re-interpretation it will cease to be a classic, and that will never happen. There's nothing wrong with symbolism, unless it gets in the way of the story. Why can't the story be "symbolic friendly" without jerking Faust out of the middle ages into some nebulous environment where it is impossible for the tale to unfolded as it was written? Berlioz never intended this version of Faust to be presented as a staged opera. On his first trip to London the empressario Julien, made an offer for him to convert it into an opera, but that fell through. He would have obviously changed some things had he done so. The technical problems presented by "La Damnation de Faust", especially the Ride to the Abyss make it very difficult to stage effectively, although the Salzberg production did a fair job technically, utilizing a large cylinder where some of the action took place. However, my suggestion is that until someone can do it right, leave the piece alone. The human mind is still the best stage for this remarkable work. The singing was very good, the orchestra played the piece the way Berlioz should be played, and the sound was excellent. And a big plus is the 5.1 Dolby Digital - that alone is worth the price of the DVD. My only quibble with the sound was in the Hungarian March where the bass drum representing distant cannon fire was barely audible. I rate this version 4 stars for the music and the sound. You might find the staging amusing; just don't let it distract you from the music.
Rating:
Summary: Postmodern Faust
Review: The Faust Legend is heady stuff, arising from the heart of medieval Gothic culture. No wonder it exercised such a strong effect on Goethe and on the opera composers (such as Gounod) who made settings of his dramatic poem. Among these, Berlioz comes closest to Goethe in his understanding of the tale - not a maudlin love-story as in Gounod's setting but a depiction of demonism, intoxication, and shameless seduction as responses to boredom and mortality. "La Damnation de Faust" (1846) elaborates Berlioz's earlier "Huit Scenes de Faust" (1828); the composer described it not as an opera but as a "Légende dramatique." For more than a century producers considered it unstageable; but in recent decades advances in stagecraft have solved most of the problems. The performance preserved on the Arthaus DVD comes from the 1999 Salzburg Festival. The company is a Spanish one, La Fura dels Baus. The cast is vocally unexceptionable, with a fine Mephistopheles in Willard White, a decent Faust in Paul Groves, and a slightly overwrought but still plausible ingénue (Margarethe) in Vesselina Kasarova. It's stage-director Alex Olle's visual conception that raises questions. Maybe I'm reactionary, but I see "La Damnation de Faust" in Gothic terms; not necessarily as Gustave Doré saw it in his famous illustrations for Goethe's Part I (although that would be fine with me), but as close and stony in its setting, with architecture in the ogival style. An expressionist mise-en-scene in the style of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" would be appropriate, too. What La Fura dels Baus gives us, however, is a highly abstract, skeletal-industrial realization full of incomprehensible and seemingly arbitrary touches. Faust, for example, wears what looks like a patient's uniform from a mental asylum; so does everyone else, except Mephistopheles, who appears to shop at Wilson's House of Leather and Suede. Why is Faust (along with the chorus) lugging a milk-can on his back? Why does Mephisto hand Faust a black leather loafer just before he takes him to see Margarethe for the first time? What are the bizarre objects that look like rejected props from a sci-fi flick that the chorus shuffles around the stage? The large tower just right of center-scene is supposed to represent an alchemist's oven, or alembic. The action is supposed to be taking place "inside Faust's mind." Yeah, but Faust had a Gothic mind, not a hackneyed post-modern one. I felt the same moderate indignation that Peter Konwitschny's "Tristan und Isolde" inspired in me when it turned the ship in Wagner's Act I into a cruise-liner, and tarted up the scene in cream-whites with splashes of primary blue and red totally inappropriate to the darkness of the tale. The eccentricity of the staging in this "Damnation" is a pity, since DVD is obviously THE medium for recorded opera; and because the performance is musically meritorious. (It's not on the level of the criterion-setting Colin Davis readings, old or new, but it's good.) Opera is as much stagecraft as it is music; so SEEING it is half the experience. Even a materially limited staging, like those preserved on the videotapes of the Glyndebourne opera, can be fascinating to watch. Bergman's "Magic Flute" and Syberberg's "Parsifal" are exemplary. I'd like to see a less avant-garde mounting of Berlioz's compelling "Legend." (There must be one, in some television archive somewhere.) Even so, the added visual dimension makes the Arthaus DVD worth acquiring, especially if one were curious about Berlioz and did not already own a recording of "La Damnation." The documentation is good, but buyers will have to content themselves with synopses of the plot rather than with a libretto. This is not so much a problem, however, as viewers can select subtitles in a variety of languages, including the original French. Recommended with the various qualms and qualifications stipulated above.
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