Final concert: La Damnation de Faust by Berlioz

AVROTROS Vrijdagconcert closes the season in extra festive fashion as part of ten years of TivoliVredenburg. Reason for a grand final concert with an at least equally grand work: La Damnation de Faust by Berlioz.

Goethe's Faust according to Berlioz
Five vocal soloists, a large seven-voice choir, a children's choir and a sizeable orchestra asked Berlioz for his iconic depiction of the story of Faust, as rendered by Goethe in his Faust, eine Tragödie. Initially Berlioz turned it into a relatively short work in eight scenes, later he worked it into a full-length work of more than two hours. It is not easy to name this extraordinary composition. Is it an opera that can be performed scenically, is it an oratorio intended for the concert stage or could it be called a choral symphony?

Dramatic legend
Berlioz himself called it a "Légende-dramatique. And that covers the charge beautifully. It gives musical shape to a legendary figure and does so by dramatic means, regardless of whether you choose the opera theater or the concert hall. In this work, too, Berlioz shows himself to be a true master of atmospheric drawing. With his delicate approach and colorful instrumentation, he manages to turn Goethe's borne weeping play into a truly human tragedy. For the performance of this dramatic legend, four renowned soloists and the best Dutch children's choir will perform. In addition, the regular players of the AVROTROS Friday Concert: the Groot Omroepkoor and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, all conducted by chief conductor Karina Canellakis.