Customer Reviews

Faust / Sutherland, Corelli, Ghiaurov; Bonynge

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
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. He's
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 CAN'T be disappointed!

I have to admit -- this was my favorite recording of Faust when I first heard it (it was also the only stereo recording available, and I was about 10 yrs old at the time.) Since then, there have been so many better versions recorded that this one is no longer worth it in my opinion, even at the bargain price. That said, the one truly great aspect of this performance is the combined forces of the conductor, orchestra and choirs. Richard Bonynge seems perfectly at home, with consistently good taste & control; his tempos are natural and fit the music like a glove. The fantastic London Symphony and the huge combined chorus (which is a great advantage during the many famous choral scenes, especially the Kermesse and the final scene where the score calls for an entire host of angels) are nothing less than impressive. SO, if you're not too picky about the soloists, this would be a good choice. On paper the cast looks promising (Joan Sutherland as Marguerite and Franco Corelli in the title role!) However, Sutherland's usually rich voice sounds constricted, though undeniably beautiful in the upper register, and her phrasing is often awkward; and Corelli, while he also has a glorious set of vocal chords, comes off as a rough, unsophisticated lout in this most elegant of tenor roles, and his French is horrendous. Bass Nicolai Ghiaurov fares much better as Mephistopheles, ranging from suave to ironic to really demonic, with a strong, mellifluous sound. Robert Massard also sings very well as Valentin and the smaller roles are handled competently. The sound quality is superb for its time -- no possible complaints there. For Sutherland/Corelli fans this recording will have plenty to offer, but if you want the best choice for this exquisite opera, the most famous vocal version of the Faust legend -- check out the many other possibilities. Which one you'll like best will depend on your taste in singers and how much you want to spend.

Just a short review for now- I love this performance. Corelli, Sutherland, Massard (A FINE Valentine!), and Ghiaurov are all in excellent voice. True, this is not a showcase of proper French style, so if you prefer that, one of the others would be preferable. (I simply don't know which other version of Faust is truly in a French style. Of the other Fausts I've heard, the one with Cluytens conducting Gedda, De Los Angeles, and Christoff should be the closest to the French style. It's also an excellent performance!) As for this one- it's very Italianate and passionate in its approach. To me, Corelli does not come off as a lout- just impetuous and VERY much in love.

Sutherland's voice might not be perfect for the role, but she captures the character quite well for me. Massard is a prim and proper sounding Valentine (And he's also quite French!), with a beautiful voice. In other words, he fits perfectly. And what can I say about Ghiaurov here? The voice is simply stunning and his characterization is superb. Also, as another reviewer mentioned, the orchestra and choruses are simply superb... and I love the way Bonynge conducts this opera.

This recording, criticized or forgotten by the critics, it can offer much more than beautiful voices, but also a lot of dramatismo. Joan Sutherland's Marguerite is great, with an impressive dramatism and a sweet and pathetic voice. Frank Corelli, in spite of little dramatismo, is with a perfect voice to interpret Fausto. Ghiaurov is the most impressive of the group, showing a perfect and ironic voice of Mefistófeles. For who wants to have a good quality example, and mainly for J. Sutherland's fans, this is an excellent recording, as well as the one of Cheryl Studer and De Los Angeles.

I needed to find a recording to help me relearn the opera, and settled for this one, by virtue of the late but great Franco Corelli and Dame Joan. I must say a lot of it is disappointing. Corelli's voice is thrilling, but his French is atrocious. Sutherland sings well, but just sounds too matronly for my taste. Ghiaurov's devil is about what I expected: overdone. Bonynge conducts nicely, and chooses to use the German edition with extra bits of music, and an extended, very different duet in the prison scene. The ballet music is kept in context, not as an appendix. (The booklet is helpful here: the ballet actually has the semblance of a plot!) My favorite Faust recording -- cuts and all -- remains unavailable as yet: the Columbia Masterworks recording featuring Eugene Conley (with a great high C), Eleanor Steber (that gal could sing anything) and Cesare Siepi (suave, smooth and charming) with the forces of the old Metropolitan Opera. (It was the second opera recording I ever owned.)These MET recordings are starting to make a comeback: look for that Faust.

I needed to find a recording to help me relearn the opera, and settled for this one, by virtue of the late but great Franco Corelli and Dame Joan. I must say a lot of it is disappointing. Corelli's voice is thrilling, but his French is atrocious. Sutherland sings well, but just sounds too matronly for my taste. Ghiarov's devil is about what I expected: overdone. Bonynge conducts nicely, and chooses to use the German edition with extra bits of music, and an extended, very different duet in the prison scene. The ballet music is kept in context, not as an appendix. (The booklet is helpful here: the ballet actually has the semblance of a plot!) My favorite Faust recording -- cuts and all -- remains unavailable as yet: the Columbia Masterworks recording featuring Eugene Conley (with a great high C), Eleanor Steber (that gal could sing anything) and Cesare Siepi (suave, smooth and charming) with the forces of the old Metropolitan Opera. (It was the second opera recording I ever owned.)These MET recordings are starting to make a comeback: look for that Faust.

Decca assembled a pretty breathtaking cast for this 1966 recording of Gounod's Faust. One possible objection to the whole idea is that the singers represent a motley crew of French accents and pronounciations, but for those of us less versed in the French language the problem is less, uh, pronounced. Besides, it was always difficult to figure out what Joan Sutherland was singing - or even what language she was singing in - anyway. I nevertheless count myself as a great fan of La Stupenda, but I will have to admit that her singing here is some distance away from her very spectacular best.

To take the best things first, Franco Corelli is simply stunning in the title role. I cannot imagine a more colorful, dramatically powerful, nuanced or indeed overall glorious account of Faust. He doesn't even pretend that he is trying to sing something other than late Verdi or Puccini (or in Italian, for that matter), but that is relatively easy to forgive for such a brilliant display of vocal magnificence. Nicolai Ghiaurov's Mephistopheles has a lot going for him as well; gracefully flowing but sinister and extremely well sung. The smaller roles are very good as well, in particular Robert Massard.

As for Sutherland, we certainly get technical excellence; the trills are spectacular and the voice blooming - but she sounds more disengaged than usual, and her voice is not as beautiful as it often was in the 60s - the voice is a little too sharp and a little to dry-sounding. (Is it the recording that ends up doing her few favors?) In any case some of the scenes sound decidedly swamped by emotional excess, and Bonynge does not even attempt to rein it in, even though he does a very fine job for most of the opera - the ballet, for instance, is spry and lively. The sound is generally good though the singers are variably balanced, as if someone were trying to artificially capture stage movement (which may very well have been the case).

Overall, this is a Faust with plenty of qualities, and for a large part it probably remains among the best in the catalogue. But it is not completely without its flaws, and the obvious lack of any attempt to really capture the style of the work may be a serious objection for many. Recommended, to be sure, but not completely without caveats.