Opera no 142
Bertin: Fausto
Soloists
Les Talens Lryiques
Christophe Rousset
This was an interesting opera in many ways. To start with it was one of the few operas by women composers which was staged during the 19th century. Secondly although it is unmistakably French in its musical idiom it is actually written to an Italian Libretto. This is because it was written for performance at the third opera house in Paris, the Théâtre-Italien, which was largely devoted to works by Italian composers (particularly Rossini) but which did also produce works by native French composers.
I thought that this was an uneven work. The general style is derived from Cherubini and his contemporaries but there are some more modern touches which might be derived from Spontini or even Rossini. Part of the opera were certainly impressive - the opening makes quite an impact in its classical solemnity - but elsewhere I felt that Bertin wasn’t quite sure how to develop and shape her material. Good ideas seemed rather to peter out. So certainly an opera with listening to and a good example of how composers were developing the language of French opera during this period, but although it would be very satisfying to say that this is a forgotten masterpiece I can’t really say that it is . Perhaps more than a mere curiosity but nothing that compels repeated listening.
