Search - William Diana, Hector Berlioz, Zdenek Macal :: Berlioz: Lelio

Good performance of a quixotic work

Czinczar | Southeast Michigan, USA | 08/17/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"What to make of this work? I'd say Berlioz was a little too drunk with love when he wrote it. Like the "Symphonie Fantastique" gone haywire. Or as if it were written by an inexperienced (though talented) love-smitten 14 year old. There are a few lush and beautiful orchestral and choral passages, but over all, the piece is a melodramatic jumble. The monologue is about the most hyper-dramatic piece of writing I've ever read. Klemperer gives it the intensity it calls for. Sometimes he gets so frenetic that you can't help being reminded of his "Col. Klink" role. He pours his whole being into making it work. But alas, the task is impossible. The liner notes do a good job of putting the writing into its cultural perspective, but that still doesn't make it more palatable for modern sensibilities. The performance by all the forces involved is excellent, as is the engineering. But that still can't elevate the work's awkwardness to greatness."

For me, THIS is Hector Berlioz

jim rice | Davidson, NC USA | 12/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I enjoy the masterful composition of Fantastique, Lelio is, for me, the masterwork of Hector Berlioz. This is cross-genre before cross-genre existed. Berlioz's love for Shakespeare is almost painfully evident from the opening ape of Hamlet... "Who's there?" to the mid-composure diatribe on the misunderstanding of art. The seamless conjunction of literature, music, and social commentary is beautiful, and the piecemeal nature of the composition is noticeable but only adds to the beauty of the overall work.



I have never heard another recording of this particular work, but I do find this recording extremely enjoyable. My listening experience is, however, not one of the typical classical fan, I think. Pearl Jam is my favorite band, and David Bowie one of my favorite performers. Wagner's Ring cycle is my favorite operatic work, and I don't like Bach or Brahms really at all. I can, I think, see why more traditionally minded classical enthusiasts would not look upon this work with as much love as I, but if you're looking for something new and exciting that pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable, definitely pick up this album."