never expected to see my favorite production of this opera in such high quality, let alone available to the public. the singers are unmatched, faust and mefistofele especially harmonize beautifully. the staging is rather modern yet brilliant, so much so that it communicates the moral of the opera in itself even ignoring the libretto. easily my favorite part in this production is the ending of faust's arc with helen, with the suitors behind them all offer flowers as she curtsies to faust while mefistofele watches eerily in the background, illuminated only by candlelight. it sends a chill down my spine every time
i saw a good few portions of chinese opera when i was studying mandarin, i can definitely appreciate the art style especially because in some ways it reminds me of baroque opera in its structure but it doesn't speak to me viscerally in the same way western opera does
