Joan Hammond, Richard Lewis & Marian Nowakowski "Great Heavens!" DAMNATION OF FAUST (Berlioz) 1953

The New Zealand born soprano, Joan Hammond, emigrated to Australia with her parents whilst still a baby. At age twenty-four, in 1936, she commence studies in Vienna and London - and eventually became noted particularly for her Puccini roles. She returned to Australia for concert tours in 1946, 1949 and 1953, and starred in the second Elizabethan Theatre Trust opera season in 1957 as Cio Cio San and Desdemona. Joan Hammond enjoyed a stellar career as a recording artist and performer and undertook numerous world concert tours between 1946 and 1961. She is captured here in a live performance on 25 February 1953 at the Royal Festival Hall, London, in Berlioz's THE DAMNATION OF FAUST. This trio from Part III of the work finds her with tenor Richard Lewis and Polish bass, Marian Nowakowski. The BBC Choral Society and BBC Symphony Orchestra are conducted by Malcolm Sargent.

[@operanostalgia3820]

Stunning!

[@Tenortalker]

Dame Joan's impressive spinto voice was always used with such musicality and sensitivity to the text . She achieved a great deal in her career , but it is a shame WW2 deprived her of some key opportunities in the opera house , notably her La Scala, Milan debut . Richard Lewis was such a fine and versatile tenor making a great impact in the high lying role of Faust here. The whole scene has a zest and energy under Sir Malcolm's direction.