Program

Hector Berlioz
La Damnation de Faust

Účinkující

Prague Philharmonic choir
Lukáš Vasilek sbormistr

Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK)
Tomáš Netopil conductor

La Damnation de Faust by Hector Berlioz is a large-scale vocal–orchestral work situated on the border between oratorio and dramatic cantata, inspired by Goethe’s tragedy. Berlioz composed it in 1846 to his own libretto (in collaboration with Almire Gandonnière), and instead of a linear narrative it offers a sequence of scenes rich in contrast, imagination, and emotional intensity.

The work is distinguished by its brilliant orchestration, dramatic transitions, and profound lyrical as well as tragic expression. Berlioz portrays Faust’s desperate search for the meaning of life, his pact with Mephistopheles, and his fateful love for Marguerite, which ultimately leads to his own damnation. Although the piece initially met with little success, it is today regarded as one of Berlioz’s most highly esteemed and daring compositions, one that deliberately blurs the boundaries between opera, oratorio, and symphony.