Customer Reviews

Faust

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was the first recording I heard of this wonderful opera, but even listening to most of the other usually recommended recordings, including the classic one with Victoria de los Angeles and Nicola? Gedda (EMI), I couldn't find some important aspects that I can find in this incredible recording made in 1966.
First of all, the orchestra is excellent and Richard Bonynge manages to conduct it with softness and power simutaneously. The result is that we can notice some wonderful details that simply don't exist in other versions. Besides, (if well conducted) Faust is a show of wonderful melodies and ecstasy moments!
Although some people may imagine the cast is not "French" enough, you can't realize what these voices can do!
Franco Corelli has a sweet but large voice and his voice blends very well with Sutherland's voice in the romantic duets. He was also a successful singer in many French roles (Romeo in Rom?o et Juliette, Don Jos? in Carmen, Raoul in Les Huguenots, etc.), so he was completely aware of the French style of singing.
Dame Joan Sutherland was in her ultimate prime, with a huge and heavenly voice that had such a "tearful tone" that could be perfectly applied to romantic-tragic roles like Marguerite. In her first coloratura aria (Ah! je ris de me voir), her voice is youthful and agile, while later in the opera it tends to be darker and heavier, indicating Marguerite's torment. Her characterization is really moving. I like Joan Sutherland's interpretations a lot not only because of her voice, but because she had a rare talent: she could express happiness, sadness and pain while singing perfectly and with the most beautiful tones. She doesn't need to breathe, to cry or to do any other "theathrical elements" to make her characterizations sound interesting to our ears.
I suppose I don't need to talk many things about Nicolai Ghiaurov's Mephistoph?les. He was one of the best basses of the 20th century (unfortunately this great singer and man passed away this week) and probably the best bass of the last fifty years, and Mephistoph?les was one of his greates roles. His voice is enormous and dark and his interpretation of the role is the most viril and sarcastic I have ever heard.
And when these three legendary voices joins, it's spectacular! The final trio is dazzling, one of the greatest moments of the recorded history of Opera!
Since I cannot talk about every great singer in this recording (there are so many!), I would like to mention the elegant Valentin of Robert Massard, the sweet Siebel of Margreta Elkins and the interesting Martha of Monica Sinclair. With such a great cast, nothing can go wrong in this opera!
If you want to know this great masterpiece composed by Gounod, or if you are just adding one more recording to your collection, please buy this recording! You WON'T be disappointed!

When it comes to grand opera, Gounod's FAUST has to be one of the grandest. At the turn of the 19th/20th century, it was as popular as Broadway's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and was often just as much a spectacle. The plot of the opera is taken from Goethe's FAUST and tells the story of an aging academic who longs for youth. He makes a pact with the devil and seduces the beautiful Marguerite. Marguerite kills the child of their union and finds herself in prison. As the opera ends, Faust and Mephistopheles try and help Marguerite escape, but upon recognizing the Mephistopheles for who he is, she prays and dies from the exhaustion. The devil condemns her, but her penitence was genuine and a band of angels brings the deceased Marguerite to Heaven.

The tale is both lively and dark, and Gounod's music captures the changing moods in the opera. The opera is filled with great arias, majestic ensemble scenes and duets, and powerful choral scenes. Though it is not uncommon for musical experts to sneer at this opera, it is easy to understand why it remains so popular with audiences.

The cast of this recording is very strong: Franco Corelli as Faust, Nicolai Ghiaurov as Mephistopheles, Joan Sutherland as Marguerite and Robert Messard as Valentin. Joan Sutherland's powerful voice more than handles the role and her coloratura techniques bring her arias to life, particularly the famous "Jewel Song." This is not Franco Corelli's greatest recording, but he is a more than satisfactory Faust. The standouts (at least for me) are Nicolai Ghiaurov as Mephistopheles and Robert Massard as Valentin. Ghiaurov has the ability to sound like a kindly friend albeit in a deceptive manner and has the ability to sound purely evil. Massard sings Valentin's aria "Avant de quitter ces lieux" with beauty and tenderness. We believe he is worried about his sister's welfare, and given what happens, he has reason to be. The orchestra and chorus support the cats and bring the opera to life, but this should not be a surprise considering Richard Bonynge is the conductor.

The recording has a libretto, but it is not the traditional booklet form. The libretto can be accessed via computer on Disc 3. This may make it a bit difficult to use when listening to the recording, but given the fact that it is a mid-priced set, a CD Rom libretto is better than no libretto at all.

What do you get when you put Corelli, Ghiaurov, Sutherland and Massard in the same room with Gounod? You get wonderful ensemble singing! Interpretation? That's a highly individual issue with any collection of individual stars singing against the backdroop of a heavier, darker libretto. Musicologists may not enjoy this recording from 1966 as much as ordinary folks but, of course, it's their job not to enjoy it for what it is: simply, stars on parade! Those of you who don't like sutherland when she goes low will not be happy in those several moments....but the rest is grand Gounod -- (remember, this is NOT puccini or verdi).

I love Faust and own many versions of the work, about 16 at last count both studio and live, but I always avoided this one largely because of the unenthusiastic reviews professional critics had given it over the years. When I finally got around to listening to it out of sheer curiosity this weekend I was overwhelmed by the quality of the voices and the full, warm Decca sound from 1966. I have nothing much to add otherwise to what the listeners have already said. My experience, though, goes to suggest how misleading the various record guides and magazines can be. I'm convinced that Ghiaurov here offers the best sung Faust since Pinza and if I had continued to rely on conventional critical wisdom I would never have heard it.

I have listened to many of the other catalogue recordings of this opera and this recording leaves them in it's shadow. The orchestral playing and conducting are a revelation. However, as the other reviewers have said the vocal talent is breathtaking. Corelli is a 'force of nature'. He portrays Faust as a tortured man. Sutherland is a stupendous Marguerite and Ghairov is a herculean Mephistopheles.

A perfect recording in orchestral and vocal terms. OK, if you want gallic accents it may be less than ideal but then so are the other recordings around. Indeed, the only other recording I would find acceptable after this one is the English National opera's set, which translates brilliantly to English.

Wonderful stuff.

It's very nearly perfect recording. You can hear that it's some old from 1966 in sound quality, but quit god. The singer Franco Corelli have a brilliant voice. The choir is brilliant. I give it 9/9 of 10/10. The first number is for the artist and preforming, the second is for the sound. It's one of my favorite Operas. Recomand it highly.

I debated whether or not to deduct at least half a star for un-idiomatic French, but I finally decided simply to succumb to this recording for what it is rather than berate it for any lack as compared with an elusive ideal. It would certainly be possible to imagine a more idiomatic performance; but, having heard a few more idiomatic performances, I am very, very happy to have heard this one. Opera is a strange beast: sometimes the most glorious voices fail to create the magic for which one longs, and occasionally less glorious voices manage to achieve what the stars fail to deliver. But here is one of those inexplicable moments when everything works over-all, even if one could nit-pick over isolated details. These stars, including the conductor, do indeed deliver. Oh, but they do deliver. There is a compelling passion to this "Faust" which one would be fortunate indeed ever to experience again, either live or in recordings. As for the famous final scene, these voices don't know anything about vocal limits: they soar with total conviction and gleaming sound. And that final "salvee" is. . .well, heavenly. Especially with this 2003 Decca remastering and at this price, indulge yourself. Everything works. Enjoy it.

Spectacular sonics, conducting that is sensitive to the singers' demands, and soloists who rank as the greatest of their time -- or ANY time. This is a "Faust" in the grand French operatic tradition and not to be missed. It's not perfect, of course, but the thrill of hearing gorgeous, bigger-than-life voices projecting this beautiful music is a real treat. The only glitch is the libretto that must be accessed by computer. A small problem given the huge success of this artistic enterprise.

The engineering was terrific and the soundstage details in the score jump out at you. Beautiful singing and Ghiaurov literally steals the show. A MUST HAVE.

I hadn't heard this FAUST in years. The experts trash it regularly, Then last night I heard a FAUST at the Metropolitan Opera, and I found it dull and dreary and wondered why it had once been so very popular. On a whim I decided to listen to this recording rather than a highly recommended one I own. I was never a big fan of Sutherland on stage (stately but dull) and I thought Corelli was an inartistic oaf with a fabulous voice, but I thought it might be a contrast with what I heard at the Met. WOW! The orchestral playing is superb and the amaziing singing transforms this opera from a stilted period piece into an a work that blows one away.
Can anyone real opera fan be concerned about a lack of idomatic French when Sutherland and Corelli let their big voices hit those high notes in the final scene with such power? You just KNOW that this is what Gounoud was hearing as he wrote it. I've revised my thoughts about Sutherland, Corelli and most of all I feel I know what FAUST can be This FAUST puts the other performances out to pasture.