Taken from Goethe鈥檚 retelling of the story of Doctor Faust, Boulanger鈥檚 opera focuses on the moment when Faust, persuaded by M茅phistoph茅l猫s to sign over his soul to eternal damnation in return for being shown one moment of true happiness, asks to see the beautiful Helen of Troy.
Faust鈥檚 sleep is troubled so M茅phistoph茅l猫s commands some spirits to watch over him, and change his dreams. He wakes up from dreaming of the beauty of H茅l猫ne. He demands that H茅l猫ne be brought across time, and across ages, that he might understand what true beauty is. M茅phistoph茅l猫s summons H茅l猫ne from beyond the grave. She is confused and frustrated that after all the troubles of her earthly life, she has been woken up again. She does not want to hear of Faust鈥檚 love, as she remembers back to her life and the many people who died in her name, and she cannot bear for this to happen again. Faust is insistent in his desire, and forces a kiss on H茅l猫ne. She is filled with a burning desire and suddenly becomes aware that she is alive again.
Their passion is fierce, but their union is short lived. M茅phistoph茅l猫s shows them that scores of Hellas fighters, ghostly figures covered in blood who lost their lives for H茅l猫ne, have come to take her back to the grave. Faust must let her go, or he will be taken down to hell with her. He is so enthralled by her beauty he cannot remove himself from her embrace, until the ghost of Paris comes forward from the crowd and claims her. Faust tries to fight the ghost, and is struck down by the flash of a sword.
Lili Boulanger鈥檚 sweeping Romantic score, dedicated to her sister and fellow composer Nadia Boulanger, reimagines Goethe鈥檚 gothic fantasy into a rich sound world. With just three voices, this short opera offers a generous glimpse into the genius of Boulanger鈥檚 compositional skill, and definitely deserves to be featured more frequently in the operatic canon.
Faust et Hélène guide sections
