Faust, opera in five (or sometimes four) acts by French composer Charles Gounod (French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré) that premiered in Paris on March 19, 1859. The work draws upon Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s two-part play based on the German legend of a man who sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for knowledge and power. Gounod’s opera does not attempt to match the thematic breadth or the philosophical sophistication of Goethe’s sprawling masterpiece, concentrating instead on Faust’s romantic encounter with Marguerite (Gretchen in Goethe’s drama) and the tragic results of their liaison. Gounod’s Faust was a success and established the composer’s international reputation.
Background and context
Several versions of the opera exist. The first performances of Faust included spoken dialogue between musical numbers. The following year Gounod reworked it with sung recitative. He later composed music for lengthy ballet scenes at the request of the Paris Opéra, which revived the work in 1869. In modern productions those ballets are usually omitted. The opera is often presented with five acts, sometimes only four. Those who present five acts do not agree on the placement of certain scenes.
The most famous selections in Gounod’s Faust are the leading lady’s two arias the King of Thule (“
Il était un roi de Thulé”) and the Jewel Song (“
Ah! je ris de me voir si belle en ce miroir”), Faust’s aria (“
Salut! demeure chaste et pure”), Méphistophélès’s aria (“
Le veau d’or est toujours debout”), the leading lady’s brother’s farewell to her as he heads off to war (“
Avant de quitter ces lieux”), and the famed Soldiers’ Chorus. Taken together, they demonstrate Gounod’s command of several moods—from playful to gently lyrical to sardonically mocking to determinedly forthright—making it clear that he understood how to present good theatre.
Faust was Gounod’s first great success, the work that established his international reputation. It also earned him the lasting wrath of the Germans, who were enraged by the way in which Gounod had altered what they saw as their national masterpiece. Even today Germans rarely call the work by its proper name. Instead, they give its title as Margarethe, to emphasize that Gounod’s opera in no way represents Goethe’s Faust. Indeed, the opera focuses far more upon the leading lady and how she eventually overcomes both Faust and the Devil to save herself. It is she, not Faust, who, in the opera’s final scene, is taken in by the angels.
Cast and vocal parts
- Doctor Faust, a philosopher (tenor)
- Méphistophélès, the Devil (bass)
- Marguerite, a young woman (soprano)
- Valentin, Marguerite’s brother, a soldier (baritone)
- Siébel, a student of Faust, in love with Marguerite (mezzo-soprano)
- Wagner, a student (baritone)
- Marthe Schwerlein, Marguerite’s neighbour (mezzo-soprano)
- Girls, labourers, students, soldiers, villagers, invisible demons, queens and courtesans of antiquity, celestial voices.
Setting and story summary
Faust is set in Germany in the 16th century.
Scene 1. Faust’s study.
Doctor Faust, an old philosopher and alchemist, is wearily poring over his books at daybreak. He has sought in vain for the meaning of life and is tired of living. He pours some poison into a goblet, vowing that this dawn will be his last. His musings are interrupted by the sounds of young men and women singing outside of the joys of the new day and praising God. But God has done nothing for Faust; he cannot get his youth back, or love, or faith. He curses human happiness, faith, and science, and angrily calls upon Satan to assist him. To his astonishment and terror, Méphistophélès appears, dressed as a dashing nobleman and ready to grant his every wish. Faust refuses his offers of gold, power, or glory; he wants youth (“
À moi les plaisirs”). Méphistophélès is delighted to comply—for a price: Here on earth Méphistophélès will serve Faust, but “down there” the situation will be reversed. Méphistophélès urges Faust to sign the contract. When Faust hesitates, Méphistophélès shows him a vision of the beautiful Marguerite at her spinning wheel. Faust, enraptured, hastily signs, after which Méphistophélès offers Faust the same goblet he was about to drink poison from earlier, only now it contains the elixir of youth. Toasting the vision of Marguerite, Faust drains the goblet and is transformed into a young man. Méphistophélès urges Faust to go with him to see Marguerite in person, and both celebrate the joys of passion.
Scene 2. A fair in the marketplace of a German town. (This is often considered the beginning of Act II.)
A group of students, led by Wagner, indulge in a drinking song. Soldiers, citizens, matrons, and young girls join in the merrymaking. Valentin, a young soldier, enters, sadly contemplating a medallion that his beloved sister, Marguerite, has given him to take into battle. When Wagner and Siébel, a young friend, ask him what is wrong, he replies that he is worried about leaving Marguerite unprotected, for their mother is dead. Siébel eagerly promises to look after her. Valentin is relieved and commends his sister to the Lord’s protection (“
Avant de quitter ces lieux”).
Wagner urges everyone to continue their merrymaking and begins to sing a comic song about a rat, but Méphistophélès, appearing suddenly, interrupts him. He politely asks to join in the fun and asks Wagner to continue his song, after which he will sing one. But Wagner gives way to the stranger, and Méphistophélès sings of the golden calf that all people worship as Satan leads the dance (“
Le veau d’or est toujours debout”). Everyone joins in the song except Valentin, who finds Méphistophélès rather strange. Wagner offers Méphistophélès some wine. He accepts and meanwhile reads Wagner’s palm, telling him that if he goes to war, he will be killed. Siébel also wants to know his fortune. Méphistophélès tells him that every flower he touches will wither. When he adds, “No more bouquets for Marguerite,” Valentin protests. But Méphistophélès tells Valentin that he will be killed by someone Méphistophélès knows.
Méphistophélès now takes up the cup of wine offered, tastes it, and spits it out in disgust. He offers the company something from his own “cellar,” and, calling upon Bacchus, he strikes a barrel, decorated with a figure of Bacchus, which suddenly pours forth wine. He urges the delighted crowd to drink their fill—to Marguerite. Valentin is enraged. He draws his sword, but, as he is about to attack Méphistophélès, the sword breaks in two. Realizing that they are in the presence of a fiend from hell, Valentin, Wagner, Siébel, and the other soldiers hold the cross-shaped hilts of their swords toward Méphistophélès, warning him to keep off. With this protection, they all exit, leaving the shaken Méphistophélès alone. He swears that they will meet again.
Faust enters and asks Méphistophélès what is wrong. Méphistophélès, recovering, tells him that nothing is wrong and asks what he can do for him. Faust wants to see Marguerite, but Méphistophélès warns that she is pure and protected by heaven. Faust does not care; he wants to see her. Méphistophélès, ever ready to serve, keeps his promise. The strains of a waltz bring in the students and townspeople, who begin to dance. Méphistophélès suggests that Faust ask one of the young girls to dance, but he refuses; he wants only Marguerite. So does Siébel, who is shyly waiting for her to arrive. At last she comes, but when Siébel approaches her, Méphistophélès bars his way so that Faust can reach her first. Marguerite declines Faust’s gallant offer to escort her home and goes on her way. Her manner is so charming that, even though she has rebuffed him, Faust wants her all the more. He tells Méphistophélès of this setback, and Méphistophélès promises his help. The girls of the town are shocked that Marguerite has refused the attentions of such a gentleman but soon forget the incident in their enjoyment of the dance.
Marguerite’s garden. (This is sometimes Act III.)
Siébel is picking flowers for Marguerite (“
Faites-lui mes aveux”), but, true to Méphistophélès’s prediction, they all fade in his hands. Happily, however, when he dips his hand in a nearby font of holy water, the flowers he picks remain fresh, and he exhorts them to express his love to Marguerite. Méphistophélès and Faust now enter the garden but hide when they notice Siébel, who is still picking flowers and planning to declare his love to Marguerite. He fastens the bouquet to her door and leaves. Méphistophélès promises Faust that he will provide a much better gift. Faust, having impatiently dismissed him, reverently approaches Marguerite’s cottage (“
Salut! demeure chaste et pure”).
Méphistophélès returns with a casket of jewels. When Faust despairs of winning Marguerite, Méphistophélès, placing the casket next to Siébel’s bouquet, assures him that this gift will win her over. The two hide in the garden as Marguerite enters. She wonders about the young man she met at the fair and pensively sits at her spinning wheel, singing a ballad about the king of Thulé and interrupting her song with musings on the handsome stranger (“
Il était un roi de Thulé”). Her thoughts turn to her brother, and then she sees Siébel’s bouquet—and the jewel case. Hesitatingly she opens it and is astonished to find a treasure of gems. She picks out a pair of earrings and, finding a mirror in the case, delightedly admires herself and imagines meeting the handsome stranger again (Jewel Song: “
Ah! je ris de me voir si belle en ce miroir”).
Marthe Schwerlein, her neighbour, is equally delighted to see Marguerite so adorned. As they admire the jewels together, Méphistophélès and Faust come out of hiding. Méphistophélès tells Marthe that her husband is dead and sends her his greetings. Marthe faints, but Méphistophélès revives her; he tells her that her husband has left her nothing and urges her to find a replacement. Faust woos Marguerite as Méphistophélès does the same with Marthe, who is captivated. Marguerite tells Faust of her family tragedies: her mother and little sister are dead, and her brother has gone off to war. Meanwhile, Méphistophélès and Marthe have already started bickering over his having to leave. Faust begs Marguerite to believe that he loves her. Night has fallen, and Marguerite asks Faust to leave. When he refuses, she slips away, and he follows. Méphistophélès, tired of Marthe, hides, and she runs off to find him. Left alone, Méphistophélès calls upon the night to enfold the lovers in its shadows, and upon the flowers to seduce Marguerite’s heart. He then disappears.
Faust and Marguerite return. Marguerite again asks him to leave, but he takes her hand and extols her beauty. Marguerite then plays “he loves me, he loves me not” with a flower, ending up with “he loves me.” Faust affirms that this is true and promises her eternal joy (“
O nuit d’amour”). Marguerite, frightened at his passionate embrace, begs him again to leave. At last she promises to see him at dawn the next day. She rushes into the house, throwing him a kiss as she goes.
Faust, thinking better of the plan to seduce Marguerite, attempts to flee, but Méphistophélès stops him. He makes Faust watch Marguerite at her window, musing on her love (“
Il m’aime, il m’aime”). Faust, inflamed with passion, rushes to her as Méphistophélès triumphantly laughs.
Scene 1. A room in Marguerite’s house a few months later. (Sometimes Act IV. The order of the scenes in this act can vary by production.)
A group of girls outside mock Marguerite because her lover has run away. Once she would have done the same, but now she is the object of ridicule. She mourns for her absent lover (“
Il ne revient pas”). Siébel arrives and comforts her. He swears to kill the man who made her pregnant and then abandoned her. But Marguerite still loves Faust. Siébel takes her hand and declares his love for her (“
Si le bonheur à sourire t’invite”). Marguerite, grateful, tells him that she will go to church to pray for Faust and for her unborn child.
Scene 2. Outside Marguerite’s house.
The soldiers have returned victorious from the battlefield (Soldiers’ Chorus). Valentin greets Siébel, who tells him that Marguerite is in church. After the soldiers march off, Valentin invites Siébel to his house, but Siébel refuses. When Valentin demands an explanation, Siébel begs him to have mercy on Marguerite and tries unsuccessfully to keep him from entering the house. Faust and Méphistophélès approach the house. Méphistophélès chides Faust for trying to see Marguerite again and reminds him that the black Sabbath is at hand. But, since Faust insists, Méphistophélès decides to get Marguerite to come out with a sarcastic serenade, accompanying himself on a guitar (“
Vous qui faites l’endormie”).
Valentin rushes out of the house, smashes Méphistophélès’s guitar, and challenges either one of them to a duel. Faust, horrified to learn that this is Marguerite’s brother, draws his sword at Méphistophélès’s urging. Valentin throws away the medallion that Marguerite gave him and attacks. Méphistophélès whispers to Faust to just thrust; he will parry for him. Valentin quickly falls, mortally wounded. Méphistophélès drags Faust away as a crowd gathers. Marguerite appears with Siébel to find her brother accusing her lover and cursing her with his dying breath.
Scene 3. A church.
Marguerite is praying. Méphistophélès, hidden from her by a pillar, summons the demons of hell to torture her soul. Still invisible to Marguerite, he mocks her former innocence and relishes her fall and damnation. In anguish she cries out to heaven as Méphistophélès condemns her to hell.
Scene 1. Walpurgisnacht. (The act is sometimes Act V, and Scene 1 is often omitted in performance.)
Méphistophélès has brought Faust to his kingdom, where demons are revelling. He tells Faust to drown his sorrows in wine. While doing so, Faust sees a vision of Marguerite with the mark of an axe blade on her throat. He demands that Méphistophélès take him to her.
Scene 2. A prison.
Marguerite has gone mad and killed her child. As she sleeps in her cell, Faust and Méphistophélès arrive. Méphistophélès warns Faust that the scaffold is ready for her and that he does not have much time to persuade Marguerite to leave with him. Méphistophélès goes outside to wait. Faust is overcome with remorse and cries out to Marguerite, waking her. She is overjoyed at his return, but, when he attempts to take her away, her mind begins to wander, reminiscing about their first encounter and their love scene in the garden. Méphistophélès calls out to them to come now or all will be lost. Marguerite is terrified to see Méphistophélès as he really is—a demon from hell. She resists their attempts to persuade her to flee, calling upon the angels to take her soul to heaven (“
Anges purs, anges radieux”). Seeing blood on Faust’s hands, she rebuffs him in horror. As a celestial choir declares her saved, she ascends to heaven.