Les Siècles/Lehmann La Damnation de Faust Review

The Royal Albert Hall hosted the performance of Berlioz's concert setting of the Faust drama, featuring conductor Jakob Lehmann, the period-instrument orchestra Les Siècles, the Choeur de Radio France, and the Radio France children's choir. Berlioz originally wrote the work for concert performance, relying on the audience's imagination rather than staged spectacle, according to the Guardian review.

Les Siècles employed period instruments including chattering piccolos, silky string passages, and an ophicleide to create what the reviewer described as a grainy texture. The Hungarian March and brass fanfares were noted as particularly snappy performances, with some brass sounds echoing from a gallery position within the hall.