After nearly a decade, Charles Gounod's opera Faust returns to the repertoire of the Opera House, starring Andrei Danilov, as well as Péter Kálmán and Gábor Bretz in a double cast, alongside Orsolya Sáfár and Ildikó Megyimórecz. The production will be performed for the 900th time in the 140-year history of the Hungarian State Opera on 2 April. Conducted by János Kovács, the opera is presented nine times between 29 March and 12 April 2025.
In the role of Faust, Andrei Danilov, winner of the 5th Éva Marton International Singing Competition in 2022 and a soloist at the Berlin State Opera, will make his debut. Having previously enchanted Budapest audiences as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, he now takes on this iconic role. Also making his debut as Méphistophélès is Péter Kálmán, this season’s chamber singer at the Opera House. Known for his comedic roles, he has also excelled in devilish characters such as Nick Shadow, Alberich, Lindorf, Woland, and Scarpia. Following his Budapest performances, he will make his first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York this April. His counterpart in the dual casting is Kossuth and Liszt Prize-winning Gábor Bretz, who returns to the role he first performed in the 2015 premiere after recent successes in major opera houses in Paris, Barcelona, Brussels, and Naples. The role of Marguerite will mark the debut of Megyimórecz Ildikó, who, following her highly acclaimed La traviata performance in January, will once again showcase her talent in a leading role. In the dual cast, Orsolya Sáfár will reprise her previous interpretations, having first taken on the role in 2016 with a memorable last-minute substitution. Zsófia Kálnay expands her repertoire with another striking breeches role as the lovesick young Siebel. Additionally, the production sees the return of other esteemed performers from the institution: Zsolt Haja as Valentin, Máté Fülep as Wagner, and Bernadett Wiedemann as Marthe, all reprising their previous roles. The musical direction is entrusted to Kossuth and Liszt Prize-winning conductor János Kovács, a master artist and honorary member of the Hungarian State Opera, who, despite his illustrious career, will be conducting Gounod’s opera for the first time. The performance will feature the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus (chorus director: Gábor Csiki), along with guest artists from the Hungarian National Ballet, with choreography by Marianna Venekei.
As a standout opera of 19th-century French Romanticism, Gounod’s Faust has been a cornerstone of the international repertoire since its Paris premiere in 1859. The opera compellingly adapts the love story from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s masterpiece and is considered the most popular French opera alongside Carmen. The central figure of the piece is actually Marguerite, who embodies virtue and purity but is led to ruin by Faust, who, longing for love and youth, makes a pact with the devil. Though scorned by society and driven to madness, Marguerite kills her illegitimate child, yet ultimately resists demonic temptation and is granted divine salvation. The opera’s popularity is reflected in its famous musical numbers, including Valentin’s prayer, Méphistophélès’ rondo, Faust’s cavatina, Marguerite’s Jewel Song, the soldiers’ chorus, and its ballet music. It was Faust that inaugurated the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1883, and it was one of the first operas performed at the Hungarian Royal Opera, appearing on its program less than a week after its opening in 1884. Since 2015, the Budapest Opera House has presented the production in a contemporary setting by acclaimed Polish director Michał Znaniecki. As part of the MVM OperAdventure initiative, the Hungarian State Opera makes the general rehearsal accessible to secondary school students.
Photo by Zsófia Pályi
