Opéra in five acts
in French language
after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Musical direction: Frédéric Chaslin
Production: Frank Castorf

Old Faust is tormented less by the question of "what holds the world together at its core" than by his longing for love and youth. Méphistophélès, less an intellectual "principle of negation" than a devilishly attractive magician, draws his attention to Marguerite - and Faust is delighted. A deal is quickly struck: the devil serves Faust on earth, and after Faust's death it is to be the other way around. Marguerite is also not unimpressed by what Méphistophélès has to offer: material luxury and sensual pleasure, often musically illustrated by Gounod with a waltz. But the relationship between Faust and Marguerite remains an episode, as Faust is drawn to new attractions, while Marguerite remains pregnant, only to see her unfaithful lover kill her brother.