The masterpiece of French opera – Gounod’s 'Faust' – still has surprises in store for us. Originally conceived in the spirit of opéra-comique, the 1859 score alternated between spoken dialogue and music, intermingling witty comedy and Romantic pathos. It is that ‘first Faust’ that the Palazzetto Bru Zane reveals in this recording, and particularly the many numbers that were subsequently deleted or altered. To restore the opera in its original colours, the Centre de musique romantique française has called on the Vlaams Radiokoor, conductor Christophe Rousset and his ensemble Les Talens Lyriques, who provide an unfamiliar aesthetic perspective on a work we all thought we knew well. This is also one of the firsts majors recordings of the young tenor Benjamin Bernheim, who finds in Véronique Gens a partner with great experience in the music and text of this repertory.
“Un must pour les amoureux de Gounod comme pour les passionnés de l’opéra français.”- obd opéra
“a terrific recording”- gramophone magazine
“For the unique experience to hear a lot of previously unheard music by Gounod and the sense of the original Opéra-Comique tradition in excellent readings and excellent singing and playing of all involved, this is a recording that should be in the collection of every admirer of this opera.”- musicweb international
“Côté choeur, celui de la Radio flamande ne mérite que des éloges.”- télérama
“The Flemish Radio Choir (Vlaams Radio-Koor) is as responsive and beautifully tuned as it was in several previous recordings put out by the same organization”- the arts fuse