Damnation of Faust Recommendations

[Guest]

Having heard many many versions of D'amour l'ardente Flamme from La Damnation De Faust (Shirley Verrett a firm favourite) I am keen to explore the full piece. But which one? Common sense seems to point me to either of the Colin Davis recordings and the LSO Live one is cheap, but equally cheap on mp3 is the Nagano with Jose Van Dam. This has never made it on to BAL so advice on these and other recordings would be gratefully received. Plus - is it actually any good?

[umslopogaas]

'The Rough Guide to Classical Music' recommends the version conducted by M-W Chung on DG.

The 2010 'Penguin Guide' recommends the Davis version on LSO live.

I've got two versions, both on LP: one in stereo conducted by Pretre, with Janet Baker, Nicolai Gedda and Gabriel Bacquier, and one in mono conducted by Charles Munch. I'd strongly recommend the Pretre version if its made it to CD.

[aeolium]

I have a quite old recording, but it seems very good and idiomatic to me, by Igor Markevitch and the Lamoureux Orchestra. It can be found on the DG Originals series.

Edit: It can also be found in mp3 format on classicalmusicmobile for €1 :

http://www.classicalmusicmobile.com/berlioz-hector/1055-berlioz-la-damnation-de-faust-by-markevitch.html

[vinteuil]

I have sung the praises before on these Boards of the Berlioz box on brilliant classics, with Eliahu Inbal.
For the Damnation of Faust he has Maria Ewing, Denes Gulyas, and Robert LLoyd; Frankfurt RSO, Kolner Rundfunkchor, Sudfunk-Chor Stuttgart, Chor des NDR Hamburg.
I think it's excellent.
The 11 CD box also gives you the Symphonie Fantastique, Harold en Italie, Romeo et Juliette, l'Enfance du Christ, op 22 Te Deum, Requiem 'Grande Messe des Morts'. If you like Berlioz, you'll want it...

[martin_opera]

Thanks Aeolium. Markevitch (and Munch) ordered from CMM for less than £2.

[soileduk]

Damnation of Faust/Inbal is a £6 pre-order on a Brilliant Classics 2-disc set. In the river or with the dog.

[Serial_Apologist]

Everyman's scapegoat, poor Faust. Always getting damned.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have sung the praises before on these Boards of the Berlioz box on brilliant classics, with Eliahu Inbal.

You have, and I have seconded the recommendation then as I do now. Superb soloists (Ms Ewing's finest hour?), excellent orchestra, clear wide-ranging recording and magnificent direction from Inbal.


(Markevich is good, too!)

[arthroceph]

I was weened on the Boston/Ozawa and always thought it was just shy of excellent, which was certainly good enough for me.
Edith Mathis does a fabulous Marguerite in my books, and I've always had tons of time for Stuart Burrows, who is Faust. Orchestra is scintillating in parts, always good though.

Having a soft spot for Von Stade, I gave the Solti a short listen but couldn't stand it... I had just been listening to the Ozawa for too long. That happens to me quite a bit, I get to know a piece via a certain recording, I OD on it, and then the piece is linked to the recording and can't be separated.

Maria Ewing as Marguerite? Boy, not sure about that. I'd have qualms about that one ...

[arthroceph]

Ozawa with Mathis and Burrows is good too.
Orchestra scintillating in parts .. which you need in Berlioz.
Find it hard to visualize Ewing as Marguerite though.

[arthroceph]

that was a double post from me. I wasn't trying to doubly recommend the Ozawa, it's just seems that posts to this particular forum are filtered in some way, so I thought I hadn't sent the first one in.

[Ferretfancy]

I've always regretted that EMI's 1961 French National Opera recording by Andre Cluytens of extracts only has never appeared on CD. This is one of my most treasured LPs, with Nicolai Gedda, Rita Gorr and Gerard Souzay, and it raises the question, was it originally recorded complete, with tapes languishing in a vault somewhere ? All the forces required are there, including the excellent male voice chorus and offstage effects, while the recording is excellent, so it's difficult to think why it's incomplete.

[richardfinegold]

any one favor Monteux? I'm not sure that it is available at the moment...

[teamsaint]

The Cluytens highlights LP that Ferretfancy referred to above looks to be available as a reasonable price download on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Berlioz-damnation-extraits-Stereo-Version/dp/B06XHTRHNL/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Berlioz+Faust+cluytens&qid=1582063416&s=music&sr=1-6-catcorr

[mallard fizz]

Hi-Res 24/96 stereo download just £4.79 on Qobuz

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/berlioz-la-damnation-de-faust-extraits-stereo-version-rita-gorr-nicolai-gedda-orchestre-du-theatre-national-de-lopera-de-paris-andre-cluytens/3610159788673