Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique

Advantages: Good sound quality, strong and compelling interpretation
Disadvantages: really not applicable

...Now, we all hear of Berlioz for his wonderful and original Symphonie fantastique of 1830 and yet how many classical music fans can say they know this work as well as that? However, I would encourage you to get to know it. Berlioz originally wrote it as a viola concerto for the great virtuoso Paganini, who claimed it was not virtuosic enough. What a great joy to hear more from the viola! At times taking a solo, at others, shimmering in the background of the scenes. Pictorial and romantic, exciting and dynamic are just some words I would use to describe this CD. The LSO must be praised for their sensitive playing. Davis takes the reins to create a most compelling and vivid interpretation of Harold's journey. The balance of the solo viola line especially in the third movement here is well judged. The tempi are flexible and the pace... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: A great diversity of famous works
Disadvantages: Not everything is perfect

...of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet, op.65 (exc.) MOZART: Dies Irae from Requiem, K.626 TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture, Op.49 (exc.) GRIEG: 1st mvt from Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16 (exc.) VIVALDI: Allegro from Spring of The Four Seasons, op.8 HÄNDEL: Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah HÄNDEL: La Rejouissance from Fireworks Music RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: The Flight of the Bumble Bee BERLIOZ: March to the Scaffold from Symphonie fantastique, op.14 (exc.) BIZET: Overture from Carmen MOZART: 1st mvt. from Eine Kleine Nachtmusic, K.525 PARRY: Jerusalem HOLST: Jupiter from The Planets, op.32 (exc.) BEETHOVEN: Ode to Joy from Symphony no.9 in D minor, Op.125 TCHAIKOVSKY: Scene from Swan Lake, Op.20 ELGAR: Nimrod from Enigma Variations, op.36 RACHMANINOV: 18th Variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op.43 MUSSORGSKY: Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good tuba muisc
Disadvantages: None

...The tuba has generally been ignored as a solo instrument, and although it enjoyed some success in Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique and the operas of Wagner, it didnt really emerge as a solo instrument until the 20th century. However, recently the tuba's potential as a soloist has been realised through the children's tale, Tubby the Tuba, where the whole point of the story is to highlight the fact that most peoploe would not think the tuba of being capable in taking a soloistic role, but the fact that it can take this role, and take it extremely successfully is shown here in this CD with these four Tuba Concerti, that were all written in the years after Tubby the Tuba. The first Tuba Concerto on the CD is Tuba Concerto (1978) by Edward Gregson. 1 - Allegro deciso 2 - Lento e mesto 3 - Allegro giocoso This concerto begins with a fanfare... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: The idee fixe. Unique and contrasting.
Disadvantages: None whatsoever.

...Composed by Hector Belioz Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) Conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras Label Royal Philharmonic Price £12.99 Available in most good music stores Berlioz was born in Lyons in 1803 and spent most of his working life in Paris. Belioz used his musical idol Beethoven as his role model when composing his Symphony Fantastique. He was obsessed by the Irish actress Harriet Smithson. He wrote her dozens of letters to which she never replied. Years later, she they did meet and they eventually married though not successfully. Berlioz decided to express his experiences through music. Using Beethoven's handling of the symphony, Berlioz set about to construct a a symphony that retained many of the traditional elements yet pushed it towards a new direction. Symphonie Fantastique has five movements each detailing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good sound quality, strong and compelling interpretation
Disadvantages: really not applicable

...Now, we all hear of Berlioz for his wonderful and original Symphonie fantastique of 1830 and yet how many classical music fans can say they know this work as well as that? However, I would encourage you to get to know it. Berlioz originally wrote it as a viola concerto for the great virtuoso Paganini, who claimed it was not virtuosic enough. What a great joy to hear more from the viola! At times taking a solo, at others, shimmering in the background of the scenes. Pictorial and romantic, exciting and dynamic are just some words I would use to describe this CD. The LSO must be praised for their sensitive playing. Davis takes the reins to create a most compelling and vivid interpretation of Harold's journey. The balance of the solo viola line especially in the third movement here is well judged. The tempi are flexible and the pace... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Colourful and always exciting
Disadvantages: absolutely none

...GENERAL HISTORY LEADING TO SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE Hector Berlioz was a French composer, born in 1803 in a little village of La Côte Saint-André. At a very early age he learned to play the flute and guitar and composed a number of little songs, two flute quintets and even a small opera "Estelle et Némorin" (Estelle incidentally being his first love interest, when he was only 13 and she in her late twenties). His father wanted to make a doctor out of him and sent him to Paris, but Hector soon dropped out of the medical school, not being able to stomach the atmosphere of the profession. He joined the Paris Conservatoire instead and soon became enthralled with the music of Gluck and Beethoven, with the literature and poetry of Virgil and the plays of Shakespeare. It was in a Shakespeare play (Hamlet) that he first saw an actress named... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful