I've only seen two operas and this was certainly different from the rich renaissance design and memorable songs of Rigoletto last year and to a certain extent the music seemed to take backstage. The singers were good (so
The equating of Faust's journey and damnation to that of German History leading to the death camps was certainly a bold choice however these themes are so strong that in the end they rather overpowered everything. However, as a spectacle, I'm glad I saw it. We had great seats at the front of the upper circle and I'll certainly remember the imagery for a long time.
Here are two other reviews.
You can see a video montage here and the BBC will be showing it in the Autumn. You'd need a big screen to do it justice.