Identifier: victrolabookofop00vict (find matches)
Title: The Victrola book of the opera : stories of one hundred and twenty operas with seven-hundred illustrations and descriptions of twelve-hundred Victor opera records
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Victor Talking Machine Company Rous, Samuel Holland
Subjects: Operas
Publisher: Camden, N.J. : Victor Talking Machine Co.
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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he operatic version in New York,1908. __ Cast Marguerite (Mahr-8Uer-eet j Soprano FAUST (Fowst) Tenor MEPHISTOPHELES (Mef-iss-tof-el-leez) Baritone or Bass BRANDER Bass Place : A German village. No one to-day doubts the genius of Berlioz, and critics are almost unanimous in praisinghis originality, his spontaneous force and immense creative power. But, like many anothergenius, he had to die to be appreciated! His La Damnation de Faust was quite coldlyreceived by the French public. Ten years after his death, however, what a change began !A Berlioz memorial in Paris, at the Hippodrome, where thousands were turned away; Berliozmonuments erected in Grenoble and other cities of France; the first performance ofDamnation of Faust as an opera at Monte Carlo in 1893, amid scenes of the wildestenthusiasm; and finally a magnificent production in Paris in 1903, on the hundredthanniversary of Berliozs birth, the cast including Calve, Alvarez and Renaud. SO VICTROLA BOOK OF THE OPERA-BERLIOZS FAUST
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In his Faust Berlioz hasgiven us a musical legend whichhas all the picturesqueness ofthe original work. Whatever severe critics maysay of its merits in the highestartistic sense, it is neverthelessa wonderful work. Strangeeccentricities and rare beautiesare found side by side; eventhe wild orgie of fiends called Pandemonium, which almosttransgresses the license of genius,must be admired for its astound-ing orchestral effects. On theother hand, there are melodiesof purest beauty, such as thenumbers for Marguerite. How-ever, the most striking numbers auerbachs beer cellar in leipsic—act nin the opera are those written by Berlioz for Mephistopheles, two of which have beenrendered for the Victor by Plancon and de Gogorza. THE OPERA Berlioz, disregarding Goethes poem, located the opening scene on a plain in Hungarysimply to excuse the interpolation of the Rakoczy March. We quote Berlioz himselfhere: The march on the Hungarian Rakoczy theme, written one night at Vienna,made such a sensati

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