Who's behind the notes? Discover Charles Gounod: The French Master of Opera and Sacred Music
Charles Gounod's 'Faust' is a grand opera in five acts. Its premiere in 1859 marked a significant success in the history of French opera. The libretto, by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, is based on Carré's play 'Faust et Marguerite' and Part One of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's epic dramatic poem 'Faust'. The 'Walpurgis Night' scene depicted in this score is a fantastical and dramatic episode in Act 4 where Mephistopheles leads Faust into a witches' sabbath on the Harz Mountains, a scene directly inspired by Goethe's work. The music for this scene is known for its dark, energetic, and orchestral richness.