Wiener Kammeroper opened the season with Habjan's Take on Gounod's “Faust“

Nikolaus Habjan marked the beginning of the 19/20 season as director in residence with his spectacular “Faust“ – starring puppets and the Junges Ensemble of Theater an der Wien.

Brushing up your Goethe…The scholar Faust is weary of the quest for knowledge. In desperation he invokes the Devil who appears in the form of Mephisto and shows him the beautiful Margarethe. He promises to make Faust young again and lead him to the girl if he surrenders his soul in return. Faust agrees. Mephisto takes Faust to a farewell feast for soldiers, among them is Valentin. He asks his friend Siebel to protect his sister Margarethe. Mephisto plays his merry pranks. At first glance, Faust’s amorous advances towards Margarethe are not successful. The shy Siebel also loves her. But Mephisto manages it that Margarethe and Faust can be together. Margarethe becomes pregnant and Faust abandons her. She knows that she has committed a sin. Valentin returns home and hears the strange news, so he challenges Faust to a duel. The latter, controlled by Mephisto, emerges victorious. Margarethe goes mad and ends up in prison. Faust visits her but she recognises Mephisto as the Devil and sees Valentin’s blood on Faust’s hands… Mephisto celebrates his triumph.

With his enthralling new take on Charles Gounod’s “Faust”, Nikolaus Habjan started up the 19/20 season as director in residence. Of course, Habjan’s famous self-made puppets, played by the singers themselves, went centre stage. Giancarlo Rizzi was conducting the Junges Ensemble of Theater an der Wien and the Wiener KammerOrchester. In the title role, a well-known guest of Kammeroper: Quentin Desgeorges. In the role of Marguerite: Jenna Siladie.

Performances: 3 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 30 October 2019

Genre Opera
Director Nikolaus Habjan
Main Actor Quentin Desgeorges, Dumitru Mădăraşăn, Jenna Siladie, Kristján Jóhannesson, Juliette Mars, Ghazal Kazemi, Benjamin Chamandy, Manuela Linshalm
Orchestra / Band Wiener KammerOrchester