Customer Reviews

Berlioz: Complete Orchestral Works

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This incredible six CD set features all of Hector Berlioz's purely orchestral music conducted by the great Sir Colin Davis, widely regarded as one of the greatest living Berlioz interpreters. In addition to favorites such as Symphonie fantastique, Harold en Italie and Romeo et Juliette, the set also includes the lesser known Lelio and several other works. The works were recorded between 1965 and 1980, and the sound is wonderful and rich. His interpretations are also lively and full of energy, especially in the overtures.

The Romeo et Juliette included in this set is my favorite of all the recordings of it that I've heard, although I haven't yet heard Sir Colin's more recent recording with the Vienna Philharmonic. The recording of Lelio is also well done. Jose Carreras and Thomas Allen are the featured singers in Lelio's song movements, and the fantasy on Shakespeare's Tempest at the end of the work is fascinating indeed. If you've only heard Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique and want to hear more of his works, or are looking for a nice collection of classic Berlioz recordings, then take a good look at this set.

For those of us who grew up in the 1950s and '60s, the music of Berlioz means Munch and Toscanini: Munch for his incendiary performances of "Symphonie Fantastique," "Romeo et Juliette," "Damnation of Faust," the Requiem and the overtures (among others), Toscanini primarily for his gorgeous reading of "Harold in Italy" but also for his versions of the Roman Carnival Overture and (for those who could find it) the "Romeo" with Gladys Swarthout. These readings had one thing going for them, which was a rhythmic impetus that made even the slow movements exciting. Unfortunately, for those of us who read scores, when we checked these versions against the music we found that Toscanini and Munch had fiddled a bit with tempi and bowing accents in an attempt to make the music more exciting. Is this so bad? Not necessarily, because these conductors had this music in their blood, they were presenting Berlioz as they had processed him over a lifetime of love, and so their fast tempi had little in common with the rattly, jangly readings often turned out by John Eliot Gardiner.

Sir Colin Davis was, and of this reading remains, the greatest Berlioz interpreter of the stereo/digital era. This is no mean feat when one realizes that he now has several competitors in the field, among them James Levine and Charles Dutoit, but in my view only the wonderful John Nelson (whose recordings of the Te Deum and "Nuits d'Ete" with Susan Graham are so wonderful) really comes close. And what makes Davis so great is that, like those legendary conductors of old, he really gets under the skin of Berlioz and makes him exciting while maintaining score tempi. Listen, for instance, to his "Symphonie Fantastique," still the benchmark modern recording after nearly 30 years. Davis also excels in his readings of the Overtures, music from "Les Troyens," and the Symphonie Funebre et Triomphale which grabs the listener and pulls him/her into its vortex of sound.

In the other two symphonies, "Harold in Italy" and "Romeo et Juliette," I sense a lapse of sorts: the slow music is conducted not necessarily too slowly, but with a certain Romantic mushiness bordering on easy listening. This, for me, robs the "Romeo alone" and "Scene d'amour" of its passion, though of course it is wonderful to hear the score in modern stereo instead of Munch's cramped mono, and for me Toscanini's second movement of "Harold," with its peculiar yet engaging walking gait, shall never be surpassed--and, unlike Munch, Toscanini somewhat transcended his mono sound because of the wonderful clarity and transparency of his orchestra. Nevertheless, if I were forced to I would live with this Davis set over my Munch and Toscanini recordings because of their overall warmth and excellent sound.

Other highlights include excerpts from "Lelio" sung superbly by pre-leukemia Jose Carreras (listen to him ascend fearlessly to those high notes--he hasn't done that in nearly a quarter-century!), dramatically astute singing by Patricia Kerns and John Shirley-Quirk in "Romeo," and marvelous interpretations of the Overtures (oh, and you can forget "Rob Roy"...Berlioz decided after one performance that he would never publish it or even bother revising it, hence it is not here). I do question the omission of the Requiem and Te Deum (after all, they ARE "orchestral works"), but with so many riches at such a low price, who cares? Liner notes are sparse, and this is a slimline box which means paper sleeves and no jewel boxes, but so what? For this much Berlioz, so beautifully sung and conducted, the composer himself would gladly have plunked down ...

Philips has gathered Sir Colin Davis's analogue recordings of Berlioz's works into one boxed set. Most often, Philips prefers Davis's earlier recording if more than one has been made for them over the years.

---The Five Symphonies: Symphonie fantasique, Op. 14; Lelio, Op. 14b; Grand Symphonie funèbre et triomphale, Op. 15; Herold in Italy, Op. 16; and Romeo and Juliet, Op. 17

Each symphony is played very well, particularly Herold and Romeo and Juliet. In R&J the sense of passion Berlioz instilled in his music comes over most persuasively. Lelio is given a convincing performance, despite its bizarre structure (it begins with a song for tenor accompanied by the piano and ends with a symphonic poem for orchestra accompanied off and on by chorus and piano).

---Seven Overtures (all are here except the unpublished Rob Roy, which is a conglomeration of Herold in Italy and other things): Béatrice et Bénédict; Benvenuto Cellini; Le roi Lear, Op. 4; Les Francs-juges, Op. 3; Waverley, Op. 1; Le corsaire, Op. 21; Carnaval romain, Op. 9. I can note no deficiencies in the overtures. The analogue sound is always sufficient.

---Orchestral excerpts from Les Troyens: Prelude to Act 3, No. 29 Chasse royale et orage - Pantomime, No. 32 Marche pour l'entrée de la reine, No. 33 Ballets. These excerpts are enjoyable Berlioz show-pieces, particularly the Royal Chase and Storm, which here performed with the chorus, as is so vital in this piece. The performance may not be as electric as Beecham's (Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique), but it is still very admirable.

---Other Works: Rêverie et Caprice, Op. 8; Marche Funèbre pour la dernière scène d'Hamlet, No. 3 of Tristia, Op. 18; Marche hongroise & Menuet des follets, both from La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24. Though the Funeral March for Hamlet is taken a bit *too* slowly, the drama is still there. The other works are finely played.

Overall, Sir Colin Davis has done the world quite the favor in becoming such an advocate of Berlioz's music. His natural feel for the medium is very pleasant; this recording cannot be but commended. The Penguin Guide was right when it noted that "This bargain-priced collection of Sir Colin Davis's Berlioz recordings is self-recommending."

You're not going to find a better Berlioz interpreter than Sir Colin Davis. Sure you might find a conductor who uses more radical tempos and so forth, but you won't find someone who is as detailed as Davis.

For those who haven't heard any Davis' readings, you're in for a real surprise. The surprise is in the rich detail of these readings. The same could be said about Davis' work for Sibelius, who is another composer he championed early on.

It really doesn't get much better than this set. I would also check out Davis' reading of Berlioz's "Requiem," which is without a doubt one of the best versions I've heard. Enjoy this fine music. Highly recommended.

This isn't a "complete" recording of Berlioz' orchestral music - what about the 'Rob Roy' overture? Granted it recycles some of Harold in Italy, but still...

First I ordered Hector Berlioz Complete Orchestral Works (Box Set) in a 6-CD set by Sir Colin Davis because orchestral is what I like best. That was in 2002. Now I have ordered The Berlioz Edition (Box Set)in a 24-CD Box Set by Sir Colin Davis because I like what I have heard of Berlioz by Davis. I will put this up for sale, and if it doesn't go I will consider putting The Berlioz Edition up for sale after I have heard it. As I said I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets and can't afford both.