Cincinnati Opera's "Faust" opens in Music Hall

I hope I've whetted your appetite for seeing some opera! Gounod's Faust opens Thursday and Saturday in Music Hall. Here are few more snippets from my interview with Ruth Ann Swenson, that didn't fit into Sunday's story. She performs the role of Marguerite.

Question: We had the pleasure of hearing your recital last month in Dayton's Schuster Center. How is performing a recital different from an opera role?

Anwer: In a recital situation you get to choose what you like to sing, what's good for your voice, composers that you enjoy singing. You get to put a program together that suits you and that you enjoy singing, and that you hope the audience will enjoy too. You don't get that choice when you're hired for a role in an opera. In my case, most people do the repertoire that they're known for, or what's good for the voice. So doing Marguerite is something that I've now added to my repertoire in the last couple of years and I really enjoy singing it.

Q: How do you see Marguerite? Is she the innocent victim?

A: She's a real heroine. She is modest and innocent and pure and alone, and she is a victim of the circumstance. She has great faith, which lasts even through her insanity, at the end. Sometimes people forget, even with Lucia and Gilda in Rigoletto – they have great faith in love. But Marguerite, her faith comes through –not just her love for Faust, and I think that's really important.

Mephisopheles picks her because she's alone. Her mom is dead and she's by herself. The whole village knows her, she's a good girl, and it's really sad (laughs) to see all the things that happen to her and things that are beyond her control and she's manipulated. But it's fantastic music.

Q: What's your favorite moment, musically?

A: Oh my goodness, I think it's got to be the duet with Faust in the second act. The Jewel Song is wonderful, but I think the most sublime music is the duet at the end of the second act. It's just some of Gounod's finest writing, and he really captures the moment.

For tickets and to see a video of the cast, click here.