Jeanette MacDonald sings 'Marguerite' from Gounod's Faust

[rabele123]

You know, "Making the hair stand up on the back of your neck" doesn't even begin to describe this!

[kittyfacebook49]

You know, I've been searching for this all over the internet...and I've FINALLY found it, Jeannete MacDonald had a voice that was a gift from God. You have made my day with this entry!  I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH!!

[ThisSheetB4RealYo]

Who else arrived at this video looking for what Bianca Castafiore from TinTin and Snowy always sings when she breaks glass and makes Captain Haddock plug his ears? its the "jewel song" from Faust and aka "Margarita" in the Tintin books. hillarious! i found it after all these years wondering what Castafiore was always singing that must have been so cruel to these comic book character's ears. LOL!

[JWPhoto]

What a thrilling scene and awesome production. What a shame that you'll never come across simplicity on that beautiful level today.

[SecretAngel98]

I am not embarressed by loving opera since i was 3! and 10 years later i still love it! so no the world could never influence me since i have seen what i can do! :P

[52149atticus]

San Francisco is my favorite movie and Jeanette MacDonald is my favorite movie star and she WAS a true star in every sense of the word. I love this segment of the movie. I saw San Francisco ONCE on TV when I was only 12 yrs old. I saw it again 3 yrs ago when I was 59. I had not heard 'Anges Purs' in the 47 yrs between--yet I immediately began to hum the melody after all those yrs. It was committed to memory forever. It is magnificent and only Jeanette could sing it so beautifully.....

[oilslick1944]

At 67 i have finally, this very moment, found this  piece after a lifetime of searching. A catch in my voice matches the tear in my eye. I've never heard ANYTHING so beautiful. No more words.

[LVmusiclover]

@oilslick1944 I too searched for what seemed like a lifetime for this beautiful piece. I never liked opera as a child or a teen. I regret I missed so much in life. I do, however, remember the first time I heard this. It was when Jeanette MacDonald sang it in the movie 'San Francisco' when she played opposite Clark Gable. It brought tears to my eyes then and it still does to these 62 year old eyes today.

[dessay1]

COLORIZED!!!!!  HOWEVER, MacDonald and Gable [with Tracy's permission] "Shatter the 10 Commandments" on the screen ~ now there's immortality for ya!

[52149atticus]

@dessay1 I think you mean 'immorality' and, no, they do NOT shatter the 10 commandments....have you ever seen the movie?

[bearcub410]

MAGNIFICENT IS ALL I CAN SAY , LOVELY , THANK YOU

[jmuslvr]

I love great coloratura sopranos. Sills and Sutherland are my favorites. And Jeanette MacDonald has always been one of my favorites as well. Her singing in this scene of the finale from Faust is wonderful.

[reallytysm]

I always loved this movie as a kid, and this particular song was always in my head. It wasn't until recently I found out what it was... finally realizing I could research it on the web. Thanks so much for putting it up!!

[itsmylife1776]

She is so beautiful and gifted with such an amazing voice. She worked hard at her craft and it really shows up in this extraordinary performance. She was a very bright shining star in the movie San Francisco.

[S730SD]

I'll vote for traditional & let modern stay in it's chair.

[sankaradas108]

Does anyone know what the title of the finale here is called?

[rossinilove]

@sankaradas108 This is the trio, "Anges pur.." from the last act of Gounod's Faust

[cca1954]

 Beautiful Jeanette!I will love her forever!

[donlemc]

I believe Michael Bartlett is the tenor...Jeanette is shrill on the upper registers ....No comparisom to Tetrazzini...she was magic!

[livkivi]

Watch Phantom of the Opera 1990 version, the last performance. Thats truly the best Faust interpretation ever

[SamllWonda]

@livkivi I'm really glad to see you feel like that, as I too think it marvellous & just wish I could find a live or more recent rendition of that version... I'm sure many would po-poo a made-for-TV Movie featuring OPERA (!), but from the first moment I heard that version I truly was moved & have longed to hear it at one of those big opera events - or to at least to appear on a cd, so I could listen to it any time... Just another Great Underrated performance...

This is a sincere performance! :)

[AuntMame]

Oh, I remember this! This scene is from the old movie, "San Francisco", with Jeanette MacDonald, Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. And, the movie ends with the 1906 earthquake. Thanks for sharing.

[Bisfa1]

MacDonald in Later years DID sing Faust in entirety. Also Romeo and Juliette (Gounod)

[Chutson353]

for those who are more expert in grand opera than myself - was Ms. MacDonald's voice of a caliber to compare with the great singers of Grand opera, i.e. Tetrazzini, Callas, Ponselle etc.?

[parzifal40]

This is truly "grand opera" the way it was intended. I hate to see opera "updated" and I despise a production of FAUST that does not include the world-famous Walpurgis Ballet........why is this opera seldom done at The Met......The great San Francisco Opera company would do a great job with this opera...

[gestas60323]

Magnificent! One of Hollywood´s most beautiful leading ladies who could really sing Grand Opera. With real trills and everything!

Much better than many sopranos of today.

[Ropieroo]

I'm in tears, this is so beautiful!

[harbottle99]

jeanette MacDonald was such a wonderful singer and actor....if only one could see the entire opera sung with her...and I totally agree with ladlaroque and Gregopera, I would love to see Faust in a beautiful setting like this. The two copies I have are both minimalist, black and entirely unenchanting.

[Urcheon]

Was that Clark Gable?  What a couple! And what drama!

[tenorismo]

Who is the tenor ?

[EmilyGreene1984]

Angela Gheorghiu holds nothing on Jeannette MacDonald.

[rodlarocque]

I agree: give me the traditional setting;

These 'modern' designs and directors who insist on putting the opera in a different century and the characters in 'modern' costumes disgusts me

[GregOpera]

I would love to see a production like this once more. Today it seems to be popular to take a composer's creation and twist it into something totally unrecognizable from the original libretto.