Mefistofele
A. Boito

Reviews

Carlos Wagner's English translation is witty and fluent-I liked Faust's reference to "reading through the small print in the contract"

Financial Times

--- a line in Boito's libretto for Mephistofele  describing the heroine's celestial blue eyes gaping cadavericamente - cadaverishly - made and Italian friend of mine laugh convulsively when I tested it on her. She confirmed it was both overblown and typical. Childishly the line "Stupor! Stupor!" given by Boito to Faust on seeing a ghost of his beloved with her head chopped off had a similar effect on me. The ENO is to be congratulated on its sensible new translation of the libretto by Carlos Wagner. "Stupor! Stupor!" is translated as "My God! Look there!"

The New Statesman

--- in the Helen of Troy scene-"Not my cup of tea", Mefistofele explains in Carlos Wagner's racy English version. I blatantly enjoyed every minute.

The Sunday Telegraph