Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique, etc.

ClassicsToday

Artistic Quality:

Sound Quality:

This masterful performance of the Symphonie fantastique comes from Colin Davis’ pioneering Berlioz cycle with the London Symphony Orchestra, originally taped for Philips and now resurfacing on Universal. The cycle contained many inspirational recordings that did much to bring Berlioz’s output, especially its more neglected areas, to international attention, and in large measure these indomitably committed interpretations never have been eclipsed by Davis’ subsequent remakes.

He secures an exceptionally fine account of the Symphonie in which the complex sub-plots of this “Episode in the Life of an Artist” emerge with arresting realism and clarity. From the “ideé fixe”, the melodic thread that permeates and unifies the entire work, Davis and the London Symphony develop the various instrumental threads with tremendous flexibility and subtlety. Hence, its successive transformations, especially the grotesque mockery of the closing “Scene of a Witches’ Sabbath”, seem to evolve naturally. No less remarkable is this bracingly virtuosic reading of the overture Le Carnaval romain, in Davis’ hands a riotous and disjunctive essay imbued with its own thrilling magnetism. This disc deserves a place in every collection, particularly now that it may be had at budget price.


Recording Details:

Reference Recording: Munch/RCA

HECTOR BERLIOZ - Symphonie fantastique; Overture--Le Carnaval romain

  • Record Label: Eloquence - 468 127-2
  • Medium: CD

Search Music Reviews

Search Sponsor

  • Insider Reviews only
  • Click here for Search Tips

Visit Our Merchandise Store

Visit Store
  • Benjamin Bernheim Rules as Met’s Hoffmann
    Benjamin Bernheim Rules as Met’s Hoffmann Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, NY; Oct 24, 2024 Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann is a nasty work. Despite its
  • RIP David Vernier, Editor-in-Chief
    David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com’s founding Editor-in-Chief passed away Thursday morning, August 1, 2024 after a long battle with cancer. The end came shockingly quickly. Just a
  • Finally, It’s SIR John
    He’d received many honors before, but it wasn’t until last week that John Rutter, best known for his choral compositions and arrangements, especially works related