FAUST

FAUST: Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/30/1972
Benzi; Gedda, Boky, Macurdy, Manuguerra, Forst
SID.19020104
Gedda and Manuguerra are two of my favorite singers, and well cast,but neither Boky nor Macurdy is what I want in Gounod. It is indeed sad that such a Faust is presented when I can think of several Fausts which have never been on the airwaves are deserving of hearing– 12/31/1949 Pelletier Kirsten DiStefano Warren Tajo WHY NOT? 12/23/1950 Cleva Kirsten Bjorling Guarrera Siepi WHY NOT? 12/5/1953 Monteux DeLosAngeles Conley Merrill Rossi-Lemeni 2/19/1955 Monteux DeLosAngeles Peerce Merrill Siepi SIRIUS MOoD 2/4/1956 Monteux Kirsten Campora Guarrera Hines Monteux farewell 1/4/1958 Morel Guden Gedda Merrill Hines SIRIUS MOoD 12/19/1959 Morel Soderstrom Bjorling Merrill Siepi WHY NOT? 1/4/1964 Cleva Moffo Morell Ruzdak Siepi SIRIUS 4/9/1966 Pretre Fenn Gedda Walker Siepi 1/18/1969 Varviso Lorengar Gedda Merrill Siepi WHY NOT? 2/26/1972 Rich Zylis-Gara Domingo Sereni Tozzi SIRIUS MOoD 12/30/1972 Benzi Boky Gedda Manuguerra Macurdy SIRIUS 1/8/1977 Pretre Meier, Johanna Burrows Carlson Giaiotti WHY NOT? More recent Fausts are well covered, but missing Bjorling’s Faust not once but twice (he has no studio recording, and is one of the all-time Met stars). The other Why not have their points. And no, we don’t need more repetitions of the 1972 Faust with Domingo which has been overplayed in recent months.