Jewel song - G. Benackova

[Eleuthere13]

Medieval women were not dressed in black and white... This is definitely a nun. This setting is apalling. You wonder whether they understand the lyrics or not.

[MastersoftheOpera]

@Eleuthere13 . I also dislike how Ken Russell made Marguerite a nun. This was never in Gounod's original version where Marguerite is merely a poor, innocent village girl who goes astray when she falls in love with Faust. This was a fine production but by far the worst part was the ballet girls who appear in every scene and distract you from the story. Ballet is ballet and should never be merged with opera.

[AchillesValda]

BRAVO Gabriela!!! I love this inscenation... But the ballet, I do not like something there, too - I agree with MastersoftheOpera

[MastersoftheOpera]

Film director Ken Russell's 1985 Vienna State Opera production of Faust has it's great moments but on the whole, I dislike how he "twisted" the original Gounod creation. By far the worst part of this production is the dozens of dancing girls! The ballerinas are a distraction in every major aria and scene. Araiza as Faust, Benackova as Marguerite and Raimondi as the Devil are marvelous. The period-setting is great as are the costumes.

[suzanneetmoi]

In this Krn Russell production, Marguerite is a nun and instead of the usual redemption, faces a guillotine at the end. It also eliminated the big Walpurgis night scene.. It had it's supporters but was ultimately replaced by a new production in fall of 2008.

[Greatfan]

I meant, Russell does not aim at nothing, at the end Faust " wakes up". He had dreamt of a liason with a nun, with the devil but now he is save in his investigating room, old again...but...watch the finale, it explains all this apparent nonsense. A genial staging.-

[Merryjest]

He aimed at nothing, and he got it- the whole regie is *nothing*. Without Raimondi and Benackova, this whole production would have been a trainwreck.

[Greatfan]

Well, it seems you know a lot about staging....Bravo !

[Greatfan]

If you watch at the finale, all what happens is Faust's nightmare. The devil defies God so the nun ( it is definitely a nun dress not anything else ) gets tempted with richness and sex. She becomes pregnant as in condemned by a church full of priests andnuns but instead of a baby she has a doll. This is revolutionary staging in the best sense for it has a meaning, a goal, a concept. It is not just " pour epater les bourgeois ". Bravo Russell !

[VeritasTeLiberat]

With the crown ontop of the wimple-and-veil, she looks like a midiaeval queen.

Otherwise, I dislike what Ken Russell had done to Marguerite.

Ruggero Raimondi did a beautiful job as "Mephisto". IMHO he's an incredible bass-baritone, one who can pass for a basso.

[1deretz]

la mise en scène la plus ridicule jamais vue, le metteur en scène est un cuistre inculte une honte de faire cela au plus celebre opera français. Dommage la voix est belle mais elle ne comprend rien à ce qu'elle chante

[soutrik69]

What's up with the nun costume and the ballet going on in the background? WOW - that's the oddest choice for stage direction I have ever seen or heard. *giggle* I guess it takes her being damned and then saved to a whole new level of redemption or something.

[LLehmannfan]

I have to confess, too, that this is the most ridiculous setting for the aria.

But Benackova herself is a quite good Marguerite.

[BassoNero]

It is not a nun dress. It is just simple european womens dress from about 15. th century I think. And ballet = jewels. Use some imagination ;o)

[ChantantReve]

no disrespect intended but I got a flashback from The Sound of Music...

Yes, she's got a beautiful, rich, round tone.. it has true depth.

[countesscoco]

I love how they give her the mirror well before she says "oh my gosh what's that there? A mirror!"

I wonder how she didn't notice she was holding one for 20 seconds already. LOL!

[Alcisko]

Could you add Mefisto's arias?

[operadonna]

staging is so stupid but her voice is very nice

[OchsaufLerchenau]

kenn eussell was the director

[SimSutcliff]

I think this stage direction is very interesting. It seems to be about temptation and visions... A bit disturbing from the singing but very interesting indeed!

[EmilyGreene1984]

Gabriella has a beautiful voice for the role of Marguerite, perhaps the best I've heard on YouTube thus far. But the production quality, IMHO, is atrocious. In the opera (and story), Marguerite was a religious woman, but by no means was she a nun at any time in the story.

[ArchieMoore]

That's because Ken Russell directed and he is fixated with nuns! Nunsploitationist!

Anyhow, can someone add the "Ken Russell" tag to this and the other Gounod - Faust vid?