Faust (1955-56): A Tragedy in a Prologue and Four Acts (sung in German)

Words: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

2-SACD set housed in a slipcase

68-page booklet including:
• in-depth essay
• detailed synopsis of the opera
• complete libretto (in the original German as well as English translation)
• session photos
• artist biographies

Prologue in Heaven [‘Die Sonne tönt, nach alter Weise...’]

Act 1: Faust’s study
Scene 1: Night [‘Habe nun, ach!...’]
Scene 2: [‘Es klopft? Herein!...’]
Scene 2: [‘Ich bin allhier erst kurze Zeit...’]

Act 2
Prelude (through the air)
Scene 1: Street [‘Mein schönes Fräulein...’]
Scene 2: Evening, Gretchen’s room [‘Ich gäb’ was drum...’] –
Scene 3: Gretchen (with a lamp) [‘Es ist so schwül, so dumpfig hie...’]
Scene 4: Gretchen’s room (Gretchen alone at the spinning wheel) [‘Meine Ruh’ ist hin...’]

Act 3
Scene 1: Night, street outside Gretchen’s house [‘Wenn ich so saß bei einem Gelag...’]
Scene 2: Cathedral [‘Wie anders, Gretchen, war dir’s...’]

Act 4
Scene 1: Gloomy day, a field [‘Im Elend! Verzweifelnd!...’] –
Scene 2: Night, an open field –
Scene 3: Prison [‘Mich faßt ein längst entwohnter Schauer...’]

World premiere recording

Peter Hoare tenor (Faust)
David Soar bass-baritone (Mephistopheles)
Allison Cook soprano (Gretchen)
William Morgan tenor (Raphael)
Robert Hayward bass (Gabriel)
Elgan Llyr Thomas tenor (Michael)
Simon Bailey bass (Der Herr [God], Bösergeist [Evil Spirit])
David Ireland bass (Erdgeist [Earth Spirit])
Katie Coventry mezzo-soprano (Schüler [Student])
Nicholas Lester baritone (Valentin)
Clare Presland mezzo-soprano (Marthe)
Claire Mitcher soprano (Stimme [Voice])

Iain Farrington (organ)

Chorus of English National Opera
James Henshaw chorus master
Mark Biggins assistant chorus master

Orchestra of English National Opera
conducted by
Martyn Brabbins

Multi-Channel/Stereo
All tracks available in stereo and multi-channel

2-SACD set
This Hybrid 2-SACD set can be played on any standard CD player

The British composer Havergal Brian (1876-1972) considered his opera “Faust” to be his greatest single achievement, but he never heard a note of it performed. To mark the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death, the orchestra and chorus of English National Opera, recorded at Abbey Road Studios, give the world premiere of the complete work under the baton of the ENO’s Music Director, Martyn Brabbins.
Composed in 1955-56, Brian’s opera arguably comes closer than any other musical adaptation of “Faust” to the spirit of Goethe’s original, setting large portions of Part One of the drama in the original German. Brian’s own skilful adaptation distils the essence of Goethe’s epic tragedy, focusing on the central figures of Faust, Gretchen, and Mephistopheles.
Highlights include the spectacular orchestral “Night Ride of Faust and Mephistopheles,” and the Cathedral scene, in which the terrified Gretchen is pursued by an evil spirit while a sinister invisible chorus intones the Latin “Dies Irae.”
Showcasing some of today’s finest operatic talent, this SACD release – which includes a comprehensive 68-page booklet with the complete libretto (in the original German as well as English translation), a detailed synopsis, and an in-depth essay – represents a landmark in the history of British opera on record.