CLASSICALNET:
This long lost recording made for what was then the Gramophone Company, Milan in 1920 is a window on the past that has vanished for quite some time. The crop of quality singers and the much underrated Carlo Sabajno combine together to provide a truly world class performance on all counts although the opera sung in Italian may not be to all tastes. (*)

Romagnoli is a tenor of true stature and he sings his parts with consummate ease although the restricted sound obviously limits our appreciation of his greatness. The same goes for the almost completely unknown Gemma Bosini who is also a fine exponent of Marguerite. Fernando Autori's "Mefistofele" reminds me of the late Norman Treigle's unmatched performance on EMI which remains my favourite recording of the opera. The minor roles are similarly well taken.

We are indebted to Stephen Sutton was generously decided to make this recording available with a stunning remastering from his private collection of 78 rpm discs. The notes also include some fascinating biographical sketches of the singers involved and are also very detailed on the historical aspects of this seminal recording along with some fascinating details on the matrixes and issue numbers. This is an essential historical document which is a must for all fans of opera in all guises.
Gerald Fenech

(*) - agreed; though to me, having heard this, I never want to hear the French again! The Italian fits the music so much better, just listen to the Soldier's Chorus - Stephen Sutton, Divine Art)

MUSICAL OPINION:
There are not many complete opera recordings that go back almost 90 years, but this is certainly one of them, and we must be particularly grateful for Divine Art for bringing this first-ever recording of Faust once more to the public, especially in such an excellent transfer of Italian acoustic 78s as has been accomplished by the engineer Andrew Rose of Pristine Audio with absolutely minimal surface noise. Thus, we can – all due regard being made for the age of the recording – appreciate this set as a genuine performance, not merely as some kind of historic relic, and with this in mind we enter a world of singing which has virtually disappeared from the face of the earth.

Faust was first heard in 1859, around the time that Napoleone Limonta, who sings Wagner in this recording, was born. Limonta took part in the premiere of Otello in 1887 and in Toscanini's Die Meistersinger in 1898. He must have been around 60 when this recording was made, and it is as Stephen Sutton rightly says in his excellent notes, a very creditable achievement. Giuliano Romagnoli takes the title role very well indeed, and all the other principals are really outstanding, giving the distinct impression of a genuine company production. Mention must be made of Gemma Bosini (Margeurite) who is first-class; she was married to Mariano Stabile. Carlo Sabajno will be known to older 78rpm collectors, for he conducted many operatic recordings, and was a really fine musician. We ought not to forget that Toscanini was principal conductor of La Scala at the time this set was made, and without trying to read too much into that fact, the quality of this world-class opera company shines through these old discs with an excellence and unfailing deep musicianship that justifies this reissue in artistic grounds alone.

There is a genuine sense of atmosphere here which makes this a fascinating and, in its way, important set of CDs.
Robert Matthew-Walker

MUSICWEB:
Recorded acoustically in 1920 and sung in Italian by Italian singers this issue could easily be passed over as of limited interest – possibly only for historical freaks. I am one of those – I wouldn't have opted for the set otherwise – but even I have to admit that it was a very pleasant surprise. One of the first notes I scribbled down on my review pad was ‘Superb sound!!'

I must be joking, mustn't I? Actually no. Readers only familiar with state-of-the-art digital stereo recordings will probably frown at the sound here and quickly turn it off, but anyone who has ever heard the feeble, scrawny sound of the orchestra, the thin, undernourished tone of the singers and the appetizing sound of someone frying bacon in a nearby kitchen will sit up and reach for the booklet: Is it really 1920?

I have to qualify my verdict. The orchestra can never be mistaken for a modern one, the dynamics are limited but instrumental details are well caught, drums and trumpets in the opening of act II lifelike, the chorus has great impact, the singers leap out of the speakers with surprising realism, even in the quartet (CD 2 tr. 2-3) the voices are well separated, and the cook has closed the kitchen door. Andrew Rose has worked wonders with the original shellacs that obviously were of exceptional quality for their time in the first place. With very little adaptability it should be possible to enjoy the performance, once one has adjusted to the limitations.

That it is sung in Italian may seem as a drawback but one should bear in mind that the practice to perform operas in the original language is a rather late invention. This set, issued on twenty 12” discs, was no doubt intended for the Italian market. Italian is of course an eminently singable language and Italians singing in the vernacular give a stamp of authenticity. This is what it sounded like at La Scala around 1920.

Probably the cuts in the score were also those applied at performances eighty years ago. For so long an opera on shellacs it is fairly little truncated: the ballet scene is gone – no great loss – and there are minor cuts in the waltz, love duet, soldiers' chorus and three in the final scene. The act IV prelude and Marguerite's recitative is omitted.

Carlo Sabajno – who wasn't named on the original labels – was a splendid conductor who recorded a considerable number of complete operas in the 1920s and 1930s. He secures fine playing and singing from the La Scala forces and paces the music as well as any of his competitors.

About the solo singing there may be some reservations, but also these are relatively marginal. The little known Giuliano Romagnoli in the title role sacrifices Gallic elegance for Italian passion in the title role but he is no mean singer. His legato isn't always the best, he tends to over-emphasize in the Di Stefano manner and his high C in the cavatina is ugly but he manages a fine scaling down on the final note and his impassioned singing in the duet Il se fait tard is truly engaging. His Marguerite, Gemma Bosini, who besides this Faust also has a complete Bohème to her credit, has an agreeable voice and more sense of style. She sings a fine Jewel song and in the duet she is heartrendingly vulnerable.

The star of the performance is however Fernando Autori as Mephistopheles. He has a magnificent black-tinted bass and his is a truly riveting reading of the role, expressive and dynamic. His rondo in act II (CD 1 tr. 11) is the tour de force it should be and altogether his is one of the most impressive devils on any recording.

In the minor roles veteran Napoleone Limonta is a rather wooden Wagner while Adolfo Pacini has a splendid voice but totally lacks light and shade in Valentin's Avant de quitter ces lieux. He makes amends however on his return in act IV and his death scene is deeply involved. Nelda Garrone is a rather squally Marta but Gilda Timitz is an excellent Siebel and her/his flower song (CD 1 tr. 17) is one of the highlights of the whole performance.

André Cluytens' stereo remake of Faust from 1959 with los Angeles, Gedda and Christoff (now in EMI's GROC series) is still the recommendable ‘modern' recording and there are several good alternatives, but readers with some historical interest will find a lot to admire on this almost 90-year-old surprisingly listenable version – and Fernando Autori's Mephistopheles must be heard.
Göran Forsling

  MIDWEST RECORD:
Is this too cool or what?  A 1920 recording of “Faust”, recorded at La Scala with a cast that has names that sound like something out of a Marx Brothers movie making fun of classical music.  Well, call me Emmanuel Ravelli!  A double disc set taking the whole performance in, released probably for the first time on CD.  Any self respecting opera fans will want to grab a copy of this just for the bragging rights.  Then, after while, they'll probably get into the cool job of sonic restoration as well.  Quite the dandy find for the real hard core opera fan.
Chris Spector

  NEW CLASSICS:
Charles Gounod's five act opera Faust was written to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Carré's play Faust et Marguerite which itself was loosely based on the first part of Goethe's Faust. The opera debuted at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris in 1859 but was not well-received. Recitatives were added to replace the original spoken dialogue before the opera was successfully revived in Paris in 1862, after which it became the most frequently performed opera at the Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra. It also went on to become a staple of the international repertory, despite a full production requiring a large chorus and elaborate sets. Faust was first performed in Italy at La Scala, Milan, in 1862, with an Italian libretto by Achille De Lauzières. The recorded version here follows this edition closely, omitting the ballet scene and with minor cuts in the Waltz, Love Duet and Soldiers' Chorus as well as in the final scene.

The recording was made by the Gramophone Company's Milan office over a two-week period in June, 1920, and was originally issued on twenty 12” discs. Though recorded acoustically, these discs were in mint condition and careful restoration has been carried out to avoid digital distortion, providing remarkably good overall sound quality that allows the excellent performances to shine through. The booklet with this double CD contains the Italian libretto as well as a synopsis of each act and biographical details of the main performers, who include Giuliano Romagnoli (Faust), Gemma Bosini (Margherita), Fernando Autori (Mefistofele), Gilda Timitz (Siebel), Napoleone Limonta (Wagner), Adolfo Pacini (Valentino) and Nelda Garrone (Marta). The Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala is conducted by Carlo Sabajno. This is the first time that this important historical recording has appeared on CD and it's a memorable version of one of the most popular, tuneful and sophisticated operas ever composed.
John Pitt