London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle

From selling your soul to the devil to finding salvation – Sir Simon Rattle ventures through Berlioz's tempestuous oratorio, The Damnation of Faust.

Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust is a work born of the composer’s obsession with Goethe's legendary tale. Once a righteous scholar, Faust allows himself to be corrupted by the devil, and drags the innocent around him into desperation and death. It’s a fable that defies definition – both a tragedy and dark comedy, with a central character both wise and despicable, and a play and epic poem in one.