The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-10-20
"FAUST'S" MUSIC
PASSES POEM
Or, So Some Critics Think Of
Mondays Opera Here,
G0UN0D'S MASTERPIECE
First Success When Patti
Sang Role Of Marguerite


simultaneously with. il not before, the
poem. In the last thirty.five years
there has been no opera as popular wit,
American audiences as Faust"
Greatest Of Gounod's Operas.
1t is undoubtedly the greatest OF all
Gounod's operas. Not le" than six
teen composers have used Goethe
poem as a libretto, Many OF these
works are excellent, but none but the
Iirenchman has clad the words in mu
steal raiment OF such surprising love
illness that It has almost robbed Goethe
of his masterpiece He has made 81
it a grand opera in every sense and
yet so abounding in melody ,ha, even
an unframed ear is captured
Wheu music prospered IN all part, vt
the civilized world. "Fause' was sung
more than any other five operas com.
bincd. AT the Paris opera alone it has
been sung l.SM times. In nine years
from 1901 il had nearly 5000 perform
ances in Germany In view Of this
Overwhelming popularity II seems
strange that it was received with com
parative indifference At its premiere
in the Thcatcr LyiQue in Paris, March
49, 1859, and thar it all but failed when
given in Milan. II was In London that
i had It's first unqualified success when
Marguerite was sung by hdelina Patti,
who received 4 tremendous ovation,
No Overture, Just Prelude.
"Fausc" ha. no overture, merely brief
prelude, somber and subdued--sugges-
tive OF the weird darkness on which the
curtain rise, in tho first act. Faust, the
philosopher. is seated ~ his cell. n:
has grown did in delvng into the mys-
tcrics OF all time. In vain" he sighs,
for his Investigations are without avail
Presently his meditation is broken by
the song OF rcapcrs going TO their daily
work. lie opens the window. lie sighs
again in envy OF their happiness and
youth. Yuu,h--,hat is what he longs
for ,rh.
Calling sStn Mcphisto, the latter ap-
pears without delay In a continuous
flow of harmony, Faus, ,eIlsshis guest
wha, he wants. Meph,to agrees, but
not without s,pula,ions. For renewal
OF his youth, Faust must pay the price
of his soul a. -. death. Faust hest
,a,es until the WHY demon causes him
10 see a vision of the lovely Marguerite
at her soinning wheel. When the vision
passes away, Faust has decided. lie
drinks Ahc potion Mephis,o prcscribe.,
and presto he is young, tall. hand
some. and with his physical mctanlpr-
phosis, the music of the opera under
goes as great change u throbs with
! life and vgor. II rejoices and exults,
Faust Rejuvenatsd.
The second act opens on kyrmcss
The soldier Valentine is parting from
his sister, Marguerite. whom he con.
iidcs to the care Of Sicbel, a youth 81
the village, who loves Marguerite
Faust. the handsome. dashing cavalier
appears among the mcrrymakers, who
in'uitivcly fee his evil power. As Mar
pucri,e cncrges from the church on
one side of the village square. Faus.
addresses her as "ny charming lady
She replies that she Is neither charm
ing" nor lady" and that she can 70
home alone, and she leaves Faust more
enamoured Of her than ever.
Then comes the garden scene, a whole
bouquet of melodies. Faust steals into
the garden where ne deposits a box OF
Jewels found later BY the entranccd
Marguerite, whose innocence and ,rus,
is speedily betrayed Valentine returns
and challenges Faust to duel
Through the demoniac power OF Ne
phisto, Raus, is protected and Valentino
fatally wounded.
Marguerite {assns.
Valentino curses his Mister with hi,
last breath True to Goethe's story
Marguerite becomes insane from. grici
and kills her child. The last act find.
her in prison and as she lies sieepinp
on her straw pallet, Faust and Mcphis.
To enter They have come To releas,
her. When Marguerite bcholds Me.
phis,o she IA filled with terror, Sh,
falls on her knees invoking the angel
of heaven TO pardon her sin and receiv,
her soul Her voice scars to heav,l
like a disembodicd spirit and the oper'
ends in one las, supcrnal not.
Melbs Sings Marguerite.
When Christine Nilsson sang Mat
gueri,e for the first time in New York
on March J, 1853, she achieved one o
the greatest 'riumrhs ~ her career
Bouquets rained from all the boxes an,
baskets OF flowers were piled over tn,
iUo,liehN until it seemed as II the-,
would be no end. Patti was anothc
ravishinp Marguerite. Nellie Melb,
who will sing the role In this city },
= October p with lucian Mura,ote n
Faust has been a favori,e in ,ha, par
, tnr many years