The Damnation of Faust

Hector Berlioz's *The Damnation of Faust* occupies a peculiar and contested position in the operatic canon—neither quite opera nor quite oratorio, but rather a dramatic legend in concert form that has proven endlessly malleable in the hands of successive interpreters. Composed in the mid-nineteenth century, the work draws on Goethe's *Faust* and represents Berlioz at his most imaginative in orchestration and harmonic daring. The piece has enjoyed periodic revivals and concert performances, though it remains less frequently staged than his *Les Troyens* or *Benvenuto Cellini*, and its hybrid nature continues to perplex programmers and audiences alike.