Search - Gounod, Roggero, Guarrera :: Faust

A wonderful relic of a bygone age

MusicMad | Metuchen, NJ | 11/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Faust was recorded in mono - but don't let that deter you!



In the long lost days of the LP, this was the second opera recording I ever purchased, the first time I heard anything in French, and the first time I ever heard Faust. It remains my favorite recording of the piece, and chiefly because it introduced me to two important singers: Cesare Siepi (Mephisopheles), the first bass voice I ever admired, and Eleanor Steber (Marguerite), the great American soprano who could just about sing anything (and pretty much did). This Faust was originally part of a series of Metropolitan Opera recordings under the Columbia Masterworks label. The other MET stalwarts recorded here are no slouches either: tenor Eugene Conley (Faust) and baritone Frank Guarrera (Valentin), both of whom sing solidly throughout, and Thelma Votipka (Marthe) and Margaret Roggero (Siebel) who provide strong characterizations. Top honors go to Siepi, who demonstrates exactly how Gounod's Mephisto is supposed to be sung - beautifully understated, with a warm tone, excellent legato and elegant phrasing, without one ounce of any buffo mannerisms that usually creep into other interpretations of the role. He really is "un vrai gentilhomme" by his own description. Steber runs a very close second, delivering a charming interpretation of the famous "Jewel Song" with a real trill, clean scales, and perfectly placed staccato high A's that are a cause for smiles. (When she sings "Ah! je ris," she means it.) And for the record, tenor Conley delivers a more than adequate high C in "Salut, demeure chaste et pure." Maestro Fausto Cleva brings lots of energy into the mix, and the traditional cuts that are observed do nothing to lessen the drama. Again, for the record: the Walpurgis scene with its ballet is out, along with the Spinning Scene containing the French version of Goethe's "Meine Ruh' ist hin, mein Herz ist schwer" and an extra sentimental aria for Siebel; there are also cuts in the coda of the famous Waltz, in the garden scene duet for Faust and Marguerite, in the instrumental introduction to the Prison scene and in the final apotheosis. It does seem like a lot - I was shocked when I first got hold of a vocal score - but years later, during one live performance, I found myself wishing for those very same cuts!



I wore out the LP version of this recording long ago; I'm incredibly happy to have a pristine, clean copy once more which I shall continue to enjoy for many years to come."