20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The way Berlioz wanted it!, February 19, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Berlioz - L'Enfance du Christ / Gens · Agnew · Lallouette · Naouri · Caton · La Chapelle Royale · Herreweghe (Audio CD)
Obviously, L'Enfance du Christ is a very popular and much recorded piece. Yet, there is probably no other recording that comes as close to Berlioz's original design as this one. Berlioz wrote this oratorio in a deliberately "old-fashioned," pre-classical, style. He wanted it to feel timeless, transcending the immediate aesthetics of his age. Herreweghe's version of L'Enfance, brought to life by performers who specialize in baroque music, achieves this line-straddling effect wanted by Berlioz. The result is a fresh look at the old masterpiece, both magical in its mythological roots and realistic in its psychological depth. Paul Agnew as the Recitant deserves a special mention: the beauty of his "bittersweet" timbre and the breadth of his register are shown here to the greatest advantage.
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11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sublime beauty of simplicity, September 25, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Berlioz - L'Enfance du Christ / Gens · Agnew · Lallouette · Naouri · Caton · La Chapelle Royale · Herreweghe (Audio CD)
What a beautiful rendition! Translucent misty world of the Christ's Childhood. When you talk about Berlioz, you often think of Colin Davis, Gardiner or even Dutoit. Well, when it comes to this particular work, L'Enfance Du Christ, Herreweghe is the absolute best. Maybe because he is the expert of Bach or other renaissance/Baroc/classic composers and this work is a kind of revival of the old music. Also because it's still a religeous work and Herreweghe does the best in this field. Now I'll definitely go for the other Herreweghe's work on Berlioz -Nuits D'ete-. I'm so sure he did it right.
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