Customer Reviews

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

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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.