Tenor Jonas Kaufmann is riveting as the title character of Gounod’s popular opera, seen in this Live in HD presentation of Des McAnuff’s thrilling 2011 production that places the mythical and timeless story in an early 20th-century setting. René Pape as Méphistophélès is menacing and elegant in equal measure, and Marina Poplavskaya delivers a searingly intense portrayal of the innocent Marguerite. Russell Braun as her brother, Valentin, shines in his Act II aria. On the podium, Yannick Nézet-Séguin brings out all the lyricism and drama of Gounod’s score.
Cast
Crew
Barbara Willis Sweete
Director
Jules Barbier
Writer
Michel Carré
Writer
Louisa Briccetti
Producer
Victoria Warivonchik
Producer
Paul Tazewell
Costume Designer
Charles Gounod
Original Music Composer
Jay David Saks
Music Producer
Robert Brill
Set Designer
Ron Washburn
Technical Supervisor
Kelly Devine
Choreographer
Des McAnuff
Production Director
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Original Story
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Conductor
Mia Bongiovanni
Supervising Producer
Elena Park
Supervising Producer