Reviewed in honor of Berlioz's 200th birthday
J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 12/18/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Fellow Amazon reviewer Bob Zeidler has recently reviewed a number of Berlioz releases in honor of Berlioz's 200th birthday. I decided, particularly since I noticed that there had been no reviews of this mid-priced 2CD set, to say something about this issue from Charles Dutoit and l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, along with their chorus. Amazon lists several different issues of the 'Fantastique'by Dutoit and the Montréal but I think (but am not sure) they are all repackagings of his 1985 recording. I could be wrong. In any event, this current twofer contains the 1985 Symphonie fantastique on Disc 1 and some Berlioz rarities on Disc 2. The performance of the Symphonie is one of my favorites of the perhaps eight versions that I own. No one will replace Munch, Colin Davis, or even Riccardo Muti, but this one has merits of its own. For one thing it was recorded when the Montreál was at the height of its considerable powers, The orchestra SOUNDS French, the recorded sound is exemplary, and I admire Dutoit's ability not only to thrill and stir us, particularly in the 'Songe d'une nuit du sabbat' and the 'Marche au supplice,' but even to move us, not something that usually happens with these sections which are generally played for their rock'em sock'em effects. There is a nightmare quality that grabs me each time I listen to them. I think Dutoit catches the early Romantic psychology of the piece as well as anybody, and better than most. The other pieces are not really top-drawer Berlioz, honestly, but I think Dutoit gives a good account of Lélio and of Tristia nonetheless. The narrated text of Lélio is--how can I be kind?--silly, but fortunately there are separate cuts so that one can program the narration out if one wishes, and I suspect you will wish to do so after perhaps one listen to it. This is not to say that actor Lambert Wilson doesn't do his creditable best, but still ...Tristia has some exquisite choral passages and the concluding Funeral March is one of Berlioz's most masterful compositions. The performances are wonderful. I have no other recordings of Tristia and can't compare it with others, but it's hard to imagine any performance being much better.Recommended.Scott Morrison"