Carol Neblett emerges as the true star of this performance, delivering the rarest of all things: a Marguerite who dazzles in the coloratura brilliance of the Jewel Song and rises to the emotional heights of the final trio with equal command. Nicholas di Virgilio brings an ease of production and impeccable sense of French style to the role of Faust, while Thomas Jamerson's Valentin deserves special mention. A mainstay of the American regional opera scene in the 1970s, Jamerson offers a performance that would have been at home on the stages of the world's greatest opera houses.