Search - Charles Gounod, Georges Prêtre, La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus :: Charles Gounod: Faust

If you don't mind an Italianate Marguerite

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 05/26/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is a respectable run-of-the-mill production of Gounod's "Faust" recorded live from La Scala in 1967. Conductor George Pretre certainly has this music in his blood, although the La Scala Orchestra and Chorus may not. Gianni Raimondi makes a good if not an outstanding Faust vocally but there is little characterization. Nicolai Ghiaurov's Mephisto is all characterization without sublety, but the audience seems to love him and he gets stronger applause than do his costars. Robert Massard is a nasal Valentin, as he is on studio recordings, but he knows what he is about.My chief complaint is the fact that no one insists that Mirella Freni learns to pronounce French! Having avoided her recordings of "Faust" and "Romeo et Juliette," I cannot listen here to her "bellay" for "belle" and "jay" for "je" and so on. It was bad enough when her Italian tenor in "Romeo" made the same mistakes in that recording; but here, when the rest are pronouncing the language properly, her mutilation of the language is all the more obvious--and inexcusable.And perhaps some Amazon.com reader can tell me why the mezzo role of Siebel is given here to a tenor!By the way, this set has the complete Walpurgis Night scene--yes, with the complete ballet--and also Marguerite's Lament and her scene with Siebel. So despite the good things this set has going for it, how can it be recommended to any but the most avid Freni fans?"

Another Treat from Opera D'Oro....

Jon M. De Benedictis | Fairfield, CT United States | 08/27/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Slowly but surely, I am championing Opera D'Oro, the label that releases oddly inexpensive live recordings of varied quality. I've always appreciated live recordings more because they often bring together casts that would not be possible in the studio.
This live "Faust" is your typical Opera D'Oro recording. It provides in interesting, but excellent cast, a terrific conductor, and mediocre sound quality, all from what is now referred to as opera's "golden age."
Though my favorite recording of this opera is Plasson's '91 set from EMI, this is a close second. Gianni Raimondi was always one of the most underrated tenorsof his time, forever in the shadows of his compatriots- Corelli, Del Monaco, Di Stefano & Bergonzi. In my opinion, he is up to par with all of them and has a voice in the same class as Di Stefano, without the lunging for high notes! Give him a try here...He's one of the finest Fausts I've heard...
OK, so Freni's French is hardly ideal, but here she was in her early 30's and truly impressive. Ghiarouv was in his prime here as well. What a job he does!
Georges Pretre all but steals the show with his terrific conducting."