Search - Martial Singher, Lucien Olivier, Gérard Souzay :: Munch Conducts Berlioz [Box Set]

A sequence of gems

Frank W. Barham | Greenbank, WA USA | 07/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This compendium of all of Charles Munch's Berlioz recordings with the Boston Symphony Orchestra is not to be missed, particularly as RCA's refurbished sonics, with some allowance for a few mono items, are deeply satisfying and the price is scaled to a beggar's purse. Both performances of the Fantastique, a Munch/BSO specialty, are included and both Romeos.

Exceptional singing from the likes of Danco, de los Angeles, Souzay and Valletti, among others, is on offer, and the BSO's first-deskers cover themselves with glory. This set is a valuable memento in particular of first flute Doriot Anthony Dwyer's playing. Perhaps it is useless to catalog some of my favorites here, but I can't resist reminding anyone susceptible to the unique Berlioz combination of elegance and drama of the Harold in Italy with Primrose as soloist, the Requiem (still my preferred version), the stereo Romeo where it strikes me that the composer is not loquacious and bombastic but eloquent, often terse, with not a wasted note, and L'Enfance du Christ.

If you miss this, you will be sorry, even if, like me, you already have some of its contents. A sequence of gems.



-Frank W. Barham"

I was there

Walter P. Sheppard | Arlington, VA United States | 01/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had the great good luck to be a student in Boston at the start of the Munch era at the BSO and experienced the excitement caused by his introduction of Berlioz to the active repertory. In those days, the BSO reserved the second balcony of Symphony Hall as "rush seats" (97 cents, tax included!) for the Friday afternoon concerts, and we students raced up the stairs to get the good seats. We were awed by the revelation of Berlioz's music, listened to the performances again the next night in live broadcasts of the Saturday evening concerts, and skimped on meal money to be able to buy the recordings when they appeared. But this set (part of RCA's "Complete Collections" series) is far more than just a memento of that time. My view may be colored by having been there when it all began, but I think these are the best recordings of these works ever made. My only criticism of the set is for the anemic booklet, which has cursory notes about the music, no texts, and an incorrect and inconveniently placed listing of the soloists (it's on a separate page from the track details of the recordings, has Doriot Anthony Dwyer's first name wrong, and credit for a track that doesn't exist). The carelessness in producing the booklet happily didn't infect the technical quality of the recordings, and this is a set that surely belongs in the collection of every serious music lover who's not stuck in the Baroque or the 21st century, and the price is certainly right."

A Triumph!

Sungu Okan | Istanbul, Istanbul Turkey | 09/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Charles Munch - Hector Berlioz. It is just something like Chopin-Rubinstein, Celibidache-Bruckner, Rudolf Kempe-R. Strauss, Bruno Walter-Mahler duos.



Charles Munch, who is the best French conductor in my opinion, is really performed these Berlioz mesterpieces, just like how Berlioz wanted. There is no any tiny boring moments! Always there is a spontaneity, always something new and surprising. In other words, it is alive, not just the playing the notes. Munch has a character of that vivacious spontaneity in all of his concerts and rehearsals. So, Boston Symphony Orchestra had their best conductor in that period, from 40's until 60's.



In that box set, there are two Fantastique (both are stereo), and two Romeo and Juliet (first mono, second stereo). Also, complete La Damnation de Faust (one of the best of all!), L'Enfance du Christ (such a calm and tranquill music surprisingly by Berlioz), Requiem (the best!!!!), Les Nuits d'Ete with beautiful sound of Victoria de Los Angeles, and some overtures, which are brilliantly played, especially Benvenuto.



The first Fantastique, from 1954, is a recording of experimental stereo, But anyway, it is amazing with it's preicesly playing and intensity, but I prefer more deep and pshycologic reading of second 1962 recording, which is better in sound. Requiem, from 1959, sounds so gourgeous! Every detail of the huge orchestra, four brass bands can be hear clearly, and especially the Chorus of New England Consevatory, with their declamation, had the best performance of all Berlioz Requiem recs. (even so better than Colin Davis version). The four brass bands sound majestic, and in the silent moments, like Quid sum miser, they get really beautiful and mysterious "pianissimo" sound, both chorus and orchestra.



La Damnation de Faust, which is the best dramatic choral work of the master in my opinion, is a really moving, impressive music, sometimes touching (like in Le Roi de Thule, the opening aria of Faust, The Night Song of Margharita), sometimes terrific (like in Pandaemonium). When you're finish to listen the music, you can not listen music anymore for hours, because of the effect of dramatic side of the masterwork.



This box includes 10 CD's, in that price, you can not go on without this box-set. It's highly recommended."