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Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique

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There are so many recordings of the Berlioz Fantastique that the best ones help to emphasise its unique qualities. One of these superb recordings is this version by Sir Colin Davis and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Although some people might find it a little austere, Davis secures superb playing from the Concertgebouw Orchestra. This performance is accorded superb sound that has corrected the problems of the original CD release.

This performance stands out because it maintains the steam throughout all the five movements, and Sir Colin Davis's tempi pushes the music along. After a rapturous reading of the opening Reveries section, he hurtles the Concertgebouw into the Passions, presenting the motto-theme of the symphony simply, yet sustaining the strands of the arguments. The Ball scene sounds suitably neurotic in his hands, and the Scene in the Country conveys a rapt sense of repose, with disturbing undercurrents towards the end. I know some people will complain about the over-austere character of the last two movements, but no, Sir Colin continues to sustain the momentum of the symphony. The March to the Scaffold may not be the most propulsive, but he certainly makes it sound grim, and conveys a suitably nightmarish and macabre effect. The finale, Dream of a Sabbath Night, is taken at a brisk clip and maintains the adreanaline to the end of the work, capping a scintillating performance of this groundbreaking symphony.

In short, I think this is a self-ercommending performance of the Fantastique that probably faces up to the competition today. Yes I know that Sir Colin's 2000 LSO Live version presents some stiff competition, but this superb studio recording has its own merits despite being 25 years old.

The "Symphonie Fantastique" still remains as a landmark into the classical universe. In many ways, it might be labeled the summit of the highest peak of an artistic expression.

It is far beyond and behind a simple symphony. It contains many elements that make of it unique and inimitable. The concept of the fixed idea, the suggestive landscapes and the cornerstone of what would be to come. The raising of the Symphonic Poem, with Liszt and Strauss as its maxim exponents.

That feature is at the same time, the most difficult obstacle to surpass at the moment to perform it. Because you have to take into account this is an incorporeal score, where the kaleidoscopic nature permeates the work from start to finish. That requires a vivid imagination as well as an exuberant melodic flight all the way through and obviously a first-order orchestra to materialize this ambitious project.

There have been countless versions over he years but just a few have been capable to express with majestic intensity and radiant lyricism its portentous meaning. Moreover, it could be stated that to win with this Symphony you must be hovered by a special pathos. And you may be sure Colin Davis has a lot of it. Besides, if you consider the presence of The Concertgebouw, what else may be requested? .This version captures with all the possible spell this magic poem.

Don't miss it.

As ridiculous as MacLeod's assertion may be, it speaks volumes about what this recording has always meant to me. Of the dozens of recordings I have of the major 'war-horses' per se (Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler symphonies, Rachmaninov concerti, Baroque sewing machine music), this is the ONLY one I'll ever want.

Recorded in 1974, the most readily apparent characteristic of this reading is its momentum. Davis doesn't allow the orchestra to rest for a moment, creating tension whenever and where ever necessary. So many performances of 'Fantastique' lack the simple inertia to keep this score alive and the Dutch respond to Davis magically. The first movement, difficult to convey because of the orchestration parrying between sparse and complex, is performed with such ease and color; I simply have not heard a better first movement anywhere.

The second movement waltz, 'At the Ball', is absolutely gorgeous, especially with the added cornet. Anytime I hear this waltz without the cornet part, I'm ready to call the guilty conductor and ask him why he left it out. It simply cannot go without. Again the Concertgebouw performs this movement with such life and joy it dances off the disc!

The third movement is simply amazing. The english horn solo at the beginning and end (the shepherd's pipe) of the movement is forlorn, impassioned, lonely, it is what typifies a benchmark reading for this piece. The Berlioz bass drum at the end is perfect for the coming storm. In general, the Concertgebouw bass drum for this recording is right on. The depth, the bass, the power, it's perfect and perfectly played.
One of the better moments of the CD, the March to the Scaffold, is strictly paced here but the orchestra accentuates throughout and conveys a truly sinister scene. Listen to the bassoons and how they pierce the Concertgebouw acoustic like no other. Marvelous!

The last movement is the best Witch's Sabbath I know; the creepy beginning leading up to the ensuing Dies Irae is only just the beginning. The bells used in this recording I have yet to hear anywhere since and never on any disc before. They set the stage for some of the most frenzied and expertly played Berlioz in recorded history (I'm dead serious about this). The low brass Dies Irae is striking and never lets up. The prickly dance that interrupts the Dies shows us a level of execution the woodwinds of very few orchestras ever demonstrated. The sextuplets that lead up to the main fugue are incredible and their reaffirmation at the ending really make a statement about the greatness of this offering.

This recording is unparalleled. Because I love this music so much and Davis found the perfect orchestra for this recording session, I have not yet found a reason to buy another. It IS a benchmark for this work; it is an incontestable addition to anyone's music library.

Some reviewers have found this Symphonie Fantastique to be wonderfully played, but rather dull and lacking in excitement. I can see where they're coming from as Davis doesn't go for bigness of sound and outward affectations. Nonetheless, I feel an urge to defend this disc on account of its sheer beauty of playing and consistent interest. The Concertgebouw belongs in the great triumvirate of orchestras, along with Berlin and Vienna, and it's a joy to hear such ravishing sounds.

Beauty of sound is always an attraction but I've never found it enough to hold interest on its own merits alone. In other words, my love for this disc is based on much more than the splendor of orchestral sound. What grabbed my attention was how Davis was able to show affinity with the music; he always seems idiomatic. As alluded to earlier, he's not out to grab us with power--if you're looking for a Karajan, you've come to the wrong place. What he's out to prove is that Berlioz's warhorse can thrive in an environment where charm is one of the key ingredients. There's much more smiling than frowning. All the same, I don't see Davis as taming the work either; the March to the Scaffold is still terrifying. Rather than feeling exhausted at the end, I was impressed with Davis' ability to retain interest throughout. The Concertgebouw can produce an antique-like tone and that's in evidence here more than on any of the other discs I own of them. Davis has ability for showing love for the music he conducts and I felt this here. In the end, it was the delightful phrasing and meticulous attention to the smallest details that was the big draw and Davis deserves a large share of the credit. I would be quick to add that all those details are captured with the utmost of personality and never strike me as remotely cold.

I guess some will still feel that Davis' attempt to make this work predominately sunny spells doom from the very beginning. I for one can't stand interpreters who think that mere musicology should sustain interest (I've never been able to listen to my Norrington all the way through). Some may feel that I'm guilty of special pleading, but I don't think Davis falls into this category; he's overflowing with grace, lyricism, and wit. For comparative purposes, I have to think of my Rattle account which is sensitive to the extreme and wallows in the sound of the world's greatest orchestra but lacks a defining interpretive blueprint. Davis tried to use one of the world's greatest orchestras to accomplish a dazzling display of personality rather than count on good playing to provide enough interest. I'd say he was successful in his efforts.

"Symphonie Fantasique" can be a truly haunting,engaging experience or it can be rambling and tedious. It takes the listener to so many emotional peaks and valleys only a skilled, sympathetic conductor with a multifaceted orchestra can succeed.

Colin Davis is the master to be sure. This performance is lush and beautiful, moody and magnficient. Despite being from the analog era, the overall sound quality is magnficent. The recording provides a transparent window to a wonderful orchestral experience.

This album, Colin Davis conducting this Berlioz classic, is one of those dozen classical CD's I'd never want to be caught without.

Listeners unfamiliar with this work, try this CD. It's moderately priced, a good value, and a great disc you'll enjoy for the ages.

Those who love the symphony, compare this to your preferred version. You'll probably love this one.

For those who once loved this work on vinyl but had doubts how it would survive the digital conversion process, chin up! This performance will KO all those DDD alternatives. If you sacrifice a little technology, it will be compensated by performance quality.

A MUST HAVE!!!! PERIOD.

Colin Davis returned to the Symphonie fantastique as regularly as the swallows to Capistrano, with three versions on Philips alone. This is his second and best-played one. The sound used to be problematic but is now first rate, and that enables us to appreicate the Concertgebouw's gorgeous playing. They are so ravishing that it's too bad Davis is so cautious and at times outright dull.

The Amazon reviewer indulges in special pleading to call this performance Apollonian or classical--it's just plain. The first two movements are the best, but as the tension and weirdness mount in the Maarch to the Scaffold and Witches' Sabbath, Davis loses steam. If you like an orotund, richly voiced Fantastique, however, here it is.