More Faust

Sometimes I get obsessive and this week its about Faust. After listening to the Busser/Vezzani recording, I spent the past few days with Sutherland/Corelli/Ghiaurov and Bonynge.

I hadn't heard this one in many years and it had a number of surprises for me. The text of the opera is absolutely complete. While it's good to hear a few of the new bits but I see no particular reason to resurrect them on a regular basis. They add little and extend an already long opera.

As to the singing: sadly I find Sutherland badly miscast. Verbal acuity was never her long suit and in her hands Marguerite comes through as a series of incomprehensible (but beautiful) sounds, with no meaning. It is a totally uninterested and uninteresting performance. Ghiaurov was in is vocal prime and then the voice was one of the glories of the stage. He rolls forth with huge, beautiful sound. Unfortunately here he relies on volume rather than subtlety and ultimately this becomes wearing. It's great and exciting to hear, but easier to take in small doses. When he re-recorded the role later with Pretre, Freni and Domingo, he was vocally less fresh, but more characterful and interesting. Massard is a fine Valentin and the others put in acceptable, if not exceptional performances.

This recording is made for me, by the Faust of Franco Corelli. I say this with disbelief since in general I find his attempts at the French repertoire unsuccessful. I have a broadcast Werther of his that is just unlistenable. But for some reason I really like this Faust. One has to accept early on that his French is pretty lousy and stylistically it is miles away from Vezzani or Thill. But musically he is on his best behaviour (little of the scooping and sliding that makes me cringe), his voice is big and beautiful and his performance is exciting and committed. I loved it.

So for style, this recording is not one to which one would look. But for a thrilling and beautiful performances of the title role, it's worth a hear.