Boito's Mefistofele
Robert Carsen (stage director), Maurizio Arena (conductor) – With Samuel Ramey (Mefistofele), Gabriela Benackova (Margherita and Elena) – San Francisco Opera
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Cast
Robert Carsen — Stage director
Michael Levine — Set designer
Thomas J. Munn — Lighting
Jennifer Green — Costumes
Samuel Ramey — Mefistofele
Gabriela Beňačková — Margherita and Elena
Dennis O'Neill — Faust
Judith Christin — Marta
Emily Manhart — Pantalis
Daniel Harper — Wagner
Douglas Wunsch — Nereo
San Francisco Opera Orchestra
Maurizio Arena — Conductor
Program notes
Inspired by the Faust legend, Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele is an imaginative work which is also faithful to Goethe's original conception.
The opera premiered in 1868 at La Scala, Milan. It is characterized by its rich orchestral sounds, beautifully punctuated with lyrical passages and choral interludes. Robert Calsen's staging sublimes that work with a post-modern production, both theatrically stunning and profundly decadent.
The performance has been unanimously acclaimed in San Francisco and Paris, and Samuel Ramey, the title role, has won both critical and popular approval.
