The Damnation of Faust, Gergiev, Barbican Hall | reviews, news & interviews
The Damnation of Faust, Gergiev, Barbican Hall
The Damnation of Faust, Gergiev, Barbican Hall
Gergiev's Faustian Adventure
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
The Damnation of Faust is so chock-full of special effects that you half expect a list of technical advisors in place of the single name Hector Berlioz. But it is just he – wizard of his imaginings – who continues to surprise and even shock no matter how many times you hear the piece - and with Valery Gergiev heightening its neurotic nature all the way to pandemonium there wasn’t a whole lot more you could have asked of this performance, except a better, more complex and interesting Faust than Michael Schade gave us and a clearer beat from Gergiev.
The Damnation of Faust is so chock-full of special effects that you half expect a list of technical advisors in place of the single name Hector Berlioz. But it is just he – wizard of his imaginings – who continues to surprise and even shock no matter how many times you hear the piece - and with Valery Gergiev heightening its neurotic nature all the way to pandemonium there wasn’t a whole lot more you could have asked of this performance, except a better, more complex and interesting Faust than Michael Schade gave us and a clearer beat from Gergiev.
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Classical music
Nakariakov, SCO, Emelyanychev, Queen's Hall, Edinburgh review - a frenzied feast of contemporary classics
'New Dimensions' concerts continue to flourish
Biss, BBCSO, Hrůša, Barbican review - electrifying Shostakovich at a crucial time
The Royal Opera's next music director achieves blazing results in a rich programme
BBC Singers, Aurora Orchestra, Collon, Kings Place review - on the way to heaven via King's Cross
Intimate settings for a musical journey towards bliss
Classical CDs: Mandolins, trumpets and hot soup
French chamber music, Viennese waltzes and a disc of viola duets
RAM Song Circle, Wigmore Hall review - excellent young musicians lift the spirits
Royal Academy singers revel in merry monks, mourning mothers and morose musings
Gigashvili, Hallé, Cox, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - beauty and style from a winning pianist
Music and ‘noise’ come together as new music meets Mozart and Tchaikovsky
Giltburg, Pavel Haas Quartet, Wigmore Hall review - into the labyrinth of a Martinů masterpiece
Fierce Czech first half followed by more storm but also balm in Brahms
Tiffin Youth Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Jurowski, RFH review - perfect detachment suits public statements
Poised Haydn and John Adams in a surprising sequence
Celtic Connections: Orchestral Qawwali Project, GRIT Orchestra review - two concerts showcasing the cross-genre power of an orchestra
Orchestral music imagined in many ways in Glasgow's global music festival
Sun Rings, Sacconi Quartet, Festival Voices, Kings Place review - lift-off for an exhilarating voyage into the unknown
A suitably radiant interpretation of a Terry Riley epic
Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Dudamel, Barbican review - an epic journey from gossamer-like intimacy to apocalyptic rage
An orchestra on top form in Mahler's Third Symphony despite swirling controversies
German National Orchestra, Marshall, Cadogan Hall review - sheer youthful exuberance
Teenagers on tour bring effusive music-making
Add comment