Charles Gounod Faust opera to libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Directed 2019 by David McVicar at the Royal Opera House. Stars Michael Fabiano (Faust), Erwin Schrott (Méphistophélès), Irina Lungu (Marguerite), Germán E. Alcántara (Wagner), Stéphane Degout (Valentin), Marta Fontanals-Simmons (Siébel), and Carole Wilson (Marthe Schwertlein). Also features principal dancers Megan Griffiths and Yasset Roldan. Dan Ettinger conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Associate Concert Master Ania Safonova) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Master William Spaulding). Set design by Charles Edwards; costume design by Brigitte Reiffenstuel; lighting design by Paule Constable. Directed for TV by Rhodri Huw. Sung in French. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
A famous critic called this a “sturdy” and fairly traditional (if somewhat over-sexed) production with excellent conducting by Ettinger and good singing by the leads except for Schrott as Méphistophélès. Even though his singing is not “elegant”, Schrott steals scenes with “raised eyebrows and endless variations on the sneer.” Schrott is probably rather used to this sort of complaint. Mike Ashman was more generous in the July 2021 Gramophone at pages 78-79 stating this is “well acted, played, and sung”—ready to become a new cash cow for the Royal Opera.
Here's an official clip which features in its splashscreen both the aforementioned raised eyebrow and sneer:
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