The Opera National de Paris is famous for using material from space agencies for their productions. After using material from NASA and ESA, the Paris Opera has made a production of La Damnation de Faust inspired by Mars One.
New Paris Opera Performance Inspired by Mars One Astronaut Candidates
The story encompasses the power of Mars One, and how it has the power to move and inspire people. Mars One made the announcement about the new production, adding that the agency is both proud and grateful. Mars is set to be humanity’s first home away from home in the true sense. The new production gave the piece a new twist in terms of art, technology and science. The myth behind La Damnation de Faust was made more modern.
The Original Story of Faust
La Damnation de Faust is an opera based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s play in two parts. It tells the story of Faust, a figure of German myth. Goethe’s piece recounts how the devil, by the name of Mephistopheles, tries to lure God’s favorite human, Faust, away from the righteous path.
Faust is a man who thirsts for knowledge more than anything else. As such, Mephistopheles believes he can easily be lured into lusting after knowledge that strays from the path of God. The man meets Mephistopheles, and they sign a pact. The devil will help Faust accomplish whatever he pleases, and in exchange, Faust must serve the devil in Hell after he dies.
The director of the Paris Opera, Alvis Hermanis, fashions Stephen Hawking as a modern Faust. Hawking has been a pivotal figure in the development of 21st century science and has the respect of the entire world. He has specifically given special approval of manned missions to outer space. Here is where Hermanis saw the Mars One factor. This project, in his eyes, is the perfect portrayal of Stephen Hawking’s ambitions for humanity tied to space exploration.
This is Not the Paris Opera’s First Rodeo
The Paris Opera made a film about the wonders of the world we live in to accompany the new production. It will be shown in the architecture used throughout the rendition of La Damnation de Faust. According to the official press release, this film enhanced the play to take the audience on an incredibly immersive journey.
Modern La Damnation de Faust Reception
The run of the show began on December 5, with a premiere date of December 8, until December 29. To critics, the production was not all it was cut out to be. Some believed that it asphyxiated the concept of other renditions.
Critics said that its principles were good, but execution was lacking. The video backdrop turned out to do more harm than good, and it gave the piece an almost comedic take when it should not have. In terms of music, however, critics raved about the immense talent of the all-star cast. It included Jonas Kauffman as Faust and Byran Hymel as Mephistopheles; Sophie Koch as Marguerite and Dominique Mercy as Stephen Hawking. In other words, the show was deemed as great in theory, but poor in execution.
