Search - Marcel Journet :: Complete Solo Gramophone Recordings 1909-1933

A great historic document of a great voice

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 12/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before the role of Mephistopheles in Gounod's "Faust" became the property of bellowing Bulgarians and ranting Russians, it was sung as the composer meant it to be: suavely and slyly. The Devil in Goethe does not roar and threaten, he lies and deceives, mostly by telling the truth. This is the characterization (I theorize) of the earliest Mephistopheles in the French opera, and this is the way it is sung in the excellent 2-CD collection put out on the Marston label: (52009-2). The title is a bit misleading in that of the 34 recordings included in this set, a few are duets and trios, but that simply lends additional historical and musical interest to the collection. Mr. Marston has provided sufficiently full notes about the singer himself, so I will give only the basic facts about this compilation. With the exception of 4 tracks, Journet sings all the selections in French, even "Wotan's Farewell" (which appears three times in different recordings). On the first CD, 12 are from Paris, Black label discs (1909-1910), 3 from Paris, Red label (1922), 3 from Milan, Red label (1924). On the second CD, we are back with Paris, Red label exclusively (1927-1933). As you would expect, most of them are from operas (famous like "Carmen" and more rarely heard like "Nerone"), while several are art and popular songs like "Marche Lorraine." Now here is where we get subjective. As with most recordings made out of the context of a complete performance, characterization is often neglected at the expense of beautiful vocalizing. I find his "Don Giovanni" Catalogue Aria somewhat lacking in comic spirit and his "Marriage of Figaro" revenge aria sung by the Count in Act III somewhat generalized in its anger. He is at his best as Mephistopheles in the two extended sequences from a 1929 and 1930 "Faust," mainly (I think) because the presence of other singers puts him into a more dramatic frame of mind. I cannot second-guess what happened back in those low-tech studios, but that is my feeling nevertheless. For the most part, Journet is eloquent with a baritone voice that is smooth, without those lower notes one admired in Leonard Warren (say), and very much at home in the French tradition of singing. All in all, this is a set that should not be missed."