IVRE.
FAUST M. BARBOT.
VALENTIN M. REGNAL.
MEPHISTOPHELES M. BALANQUE.
MARTHA Mme. DUCLOS.

The opera was first produced in London as "Faust," June 11, 1863; in
English, Jan. 23, 1864; and in Germany as "Margarethe."

The story of the opera follows Goethe's tragedy very closely, and is
confined to the first part. It may be briefly told. Faust, an aged
German student, satiated with human knowledge and despairing of his
ability to unravel the secrets of nature, summons the evil spirit
Mephistopheles to his assistance, and contracts to give him his soul
in exchange for a restoration to youth. Mephistopheles effects the
transformation, and reveals to him the vision of Marguerite, a
beautiful village maiden, with whom Faust at once falls in love. They
set out upon their travels and encounter her at the Kermesse. She has
been left by her brother Valentin, a soldier, in care of Dame Martha,
who proves herself a careless guardian. Their first meeting is a
casual one; but subsequently he finds her in her garden, and with the
help of the subtle Mephistopheles succeeds in engaging the young
girl's affection. Her simple lover, Siebel, is discarded, and his
nosegay is thrown away at sight of the jewels with which Faust tempts
her. When Valentin returns from the wars he learns of her temptation
and subsequent ruin. He challenges the seducer, and in the encounter
is slain by the intervention of Mephistopheles. Overcome by the horror
of her situation, Marguerite becomes insane, and in her frenzy kills
her child. She is thrown into prison, where Faust and Mephistopheles
find her. Faust urges her to fly with them, but she refuses, and
places her reliance for salvation upon earnest prayer, and sorrow for
the wrong she has done. Pleading for forgiveness, she expires; and as
Mephistopheles exults at the catastrophe he has wrought, angels appear
amid the music of the celestial choirs and bear the sufferer to
heaven.

The first act is in the nature of a prelude, and opens with a long
soliloquy ("Interrogo invano") by Faust, in which he laments the
unsatisfactoriness of life. It is interwoven with delightful snatches
of chorus heard behind the scenes, a duet with Mephistopheles ("Ma il
ciel"), and the delicate music accompanying the vision of Marguerite.

The second act is contained in a single setting, the Kermesse, in
which the chorus plays an important part. In the first scene the
choruses o