Summary
The Cincinnati Opera kicks off its 87th season with a devilish deal in Charles Gounod's Faust. Last presented at Cincinnati Opera in 1999, the opera tells the story of a man who bargains with the devil to regain his youth and win the love of the beautiful Marguerite. Featured in the title role is Met tenor Richard Leech, who calls his return to Cincinnati and this role a double pleasure. "Roles come and go in our careers, and although this one hasn't been in my repertoire lately, it's great for me to get back to it," Leech said. "It has phenomenal vocal parts, not only for the leads but for the ensemble as well." He last sang Faust in Madrid four years ago, but has performed between 15 and 20 productions, he estimates. Leech has sung for the Cincinnati Opera on many occasions, he said, most recently in Carmen three years ago. He says Cincinnati was key to his development, having performed seminal roles in Romeo & Juliet, Tosca and Tales of Hoffman, among others, here. "As my career settled in, it was always a nice place to come back to," he said. The "sell your soul to the devil" motif is common to literature, drama, music and movies as well as opera. "The theme sets well with opera because it leaves opportunities for big dramatic moments," Leech said. "There's big tragedy, big love and betrayal, all events that go perfectly with opera."
American soprano Ruth Ann Swenson also returns to Cincinnati in the role of Faust's beloved Marguerite after a stellar performance as Rosina in The Barber of Seville (2005). A Metropolitan Opera regular, Swenson will arrive in Cincinnati having just sung the roles of Marguerite and Cleopatra (Julius Caesar) at the Met where she was met with great reviews. Appearing in his company debut is Russian-Israeli bass Denis Sedov as Mephistophels. Sedov is a graduate of the Metropolitan Young Artist Development Program and has appeared in recent seasons at the Met, Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera and the Edinburgh Festival.See the full content of this document
Extract
'Faust' Opera Promises Devilishly Good Time
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