Faust - "The Jewel Song" ("Ah, je ris de me voir")

"The Jewel Song" ("Ah, je ris de me voir") is an aria from Charles Gounod's opera Faust.

The aging scholar Faust believes he has wasted his life and longs to be young again. In a deal with Mephistopheles, Faust sells his soul to the devil and in return is transformed into a handsome young man. When he falls in love with the beautiful young Marguerite, he soon finds that having all that you desire comes with a price.

In this scene, Marguerite tries on the jewels delivered by Méphistophélès as a gift from Faust and is captivated by how they enhance her beauty, as she sings in the famous aria, the Jewel Song (Ah! je ris de me voir si belle en ce miroir).

Song title: "The Jewel Song" ("Ah, je ris de me voir")

Opera: Faust

Composer: Charles Gounod

Year Written: 1859

Language: French

Performance dates: March 3 – 21, 2018

Artists: Ailyn Pérez (Marguerite) and the Lyric Opera Orchestra under Maestro Emmanuel Villaume

Special thanks to the Chicago Federation of Musicians local 10-208 and artists of the American Guild of Musical Artists.