Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette / Messiaen: L'Ascension ~ Cambreling

Hector Berlioz (Composer), Olivier Messiaen (Composer), Sylvain Cambreling (Conductor), Nadine Denize (Performer), SWR Baden-Baden and Freiburg Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), SWF Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden (Orchestra), Piotr Beczala (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Nadine Denize, Piotr Beczala
• Orchestra: SWR Baden-Baden and Freiburg Symphony Orchestra, SWF Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden
• Conductor: Sylvain Cambreling
• Composer: Hector Berlioz, Olivier Messiaen
• Audio CD (January 9, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Hanssler Classics
• ASIN: B000056VCU
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #481,949 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

2. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

3. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

4. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

5. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

6. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

Disc: 2

1. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

2. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

3. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ('symphonie dramatique'), H.79 (Op. 17)

4. L' Ascension, 4 meditations for orchestra, I/12a: Majeste du Christ demandant sa Gloire a son Pere

5. L' Ascension, 4 meditations for orchestra, I/12a: Alleluias sereins d'une ame qui desire le Ciel

6. L' Ascension, 4 meditations for orchestra, I/12a: Transports de joie d'une ame devant la gloire du Christ qui est la sienne

7. L' Ascension, 4 meditations for orchestra, I/12a: Priere du Christ montant vers son Pere

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best Romeo, but a great bargain choice on the used market, April 24, 2010

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette / Messiaen: L'Ascension ~ Cambreling (Audio CD)

Here we have the long-time orchestra of Michael Gielen, one of the cleverest programmers on disc, and perhaps Sylvain Cambreling has taken a page out of is notebook. Berlioz's "dramatic symphony" Romeo et Juliette has a boring ending, with a long sanctimonious monologue by Friar Laurence -- nut quoting from Shakespeare, one hastens to add. By pinning on Messiaen's early orchestral work, l"Ascension, Camberling suggests a transcendent end for the doomed lovers. These "four symphonic meditations" aren't in an idiom that Berlioz would recognize,but they are diatonic, featuring brass-based chorales, and resplendent enough to suffice. If you imagine Romeo and Juliet being greeted at the gates of Heaven, here you to.

As for the main work, my expectations weren't excessive. Camberling has a strong opera background and is always reliable. However, it must be said that the execution from both orchestra and chorus lacks Gallic charm and lightness, and Cambreling's conducting is pretty foursquare. The mezzo soloist, Nadine Denize, has a lovely, supple voice; the tenor, Piotr Beczala, who has a bright, agile voice, is just as good. He's become quite prominent on the European scene. Bass Peter Lika sounds more like the Duke of Verona than a humble friar, but his resounding tones maintain a bit of interest during the work's longest arid stretch. In the two most famous orchestral sections, the Love Scene and Queen Mab's Scherzo, Cambreling is prosaic but never stumbling.

In all, this version can't compete with the likes of Boulez, Levine, and Colin Davis, all of whom turn in exciting, imaginative recordings, but considered as a budget choice on the used market, Camberling excels, especially considering the excellent recorded sound.