The Epilogue of the Mefistofele Opera by Arrigo Boito – Sacred Connotations

Abstract

The intrinsic spirituality of Arrigo Boito’s art in the opera Mefistofele results from the vibrant expressions of the sacred that directly accompany the tumultuous path of the Faustian quests. The present article highlights the way in which the composer penetrates through music and text into the metaphysical mysteries of the fight between good and evil, in the scene of Faust’s salvation – the Epilogue. The violent confrontation of the antagonistic forces of the universe takes place when Faust, at the end of his life, manages to free himself from Mefistofele. The musical, literary and scenic means of expression imposed by the composer – being the sole creator of the libretto, music and mise-en-scène – masterfully reproduce this confrontation. The fragment we analyzed emphasizes this by noting at the same time how metaphysical space can be rendered with the help of music. Placed at the end of the opera Mefistofele, through the dramatic unfolding rich in sacred symbols, the scene of salvation crowns the series of defining elements with which Boito contributes to the evolution of the Faustian myth.