Spohr: Faust

COMPOSERS: Spohr
LABELS: Capriccio
WORKS: Faust
PERFORMER: Boje Skovhus, Franz Hawlata, Robert Swensen, Hillevi Martinpelto; Stuttgart Radio Chorus, SWF Kaiserslautern Radio Orchestra/Klaus Arp
CATALOGUE NO: 60 049-2 DDD
Spohr’s Faust(1816), with its subtle use of ‘reminiscence themes’ and emphasis on the supernatural, is a landmark in German opera. This recording omits the spoken dialogue which in the theatre would link the musical numbers, and though Spohr seldom brings intensity to the drama, the fluent and natural line and balance are beautifully judged. The recording is atmospheric and the cast, without international celebrities, projects the opera with a keen sense of ensemble. Terry Barfoot