Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique; Richard Strauss: Don Juan

Richard [1] Strauss (Composer), Hector Berlioz (Composer), Rudolf Kempe (Conductor), Massimo Freccia (Conductor), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Rudolf Kempe, Massimo Freccia
• Composer: Richard [1] Strauss, Hector Berlioz
• Audio CD (January 18, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chesky Records
• ASIN: B000003GDV
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,569 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Don Juan

2. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Largo; Allegro agitato e appassionato

3. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Valse; Allegro non troppo

4. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Adagio

5. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Alegretto non troppo

6. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Larghetto; Allegro

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars You Probably Haven't Heard This One, August 31, 2010

By 

Joseph Ryan (Islamabad, Pakistan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique; Richard Strauss: Don Juan (Audio CD)

A friend played me an LP version of this on a system culminating in an array of Quad ESL-57 speakers; now I'm hearing it via the Chesky CD on my Magnepan MMGs.

The Royal Philharmonic players of 1962 should be proud. They're invisible when they should be and they sizzle when it's time. The woodwinds particularly deserve praise. The bassoons are wonderfully agile and the double-reed dialogue in the countryside is very well done. But all that is forgotten when the artist approaches the mouth of hell at the end of the witches' sabbath -- the woodwinds descend into madness with sounds of hysteria you'll have to hear to believe.

I listen to the Boston-Munch 1962 recording a lot, and of course Concertgebuow-Davis. You'll want to hear this one before writing your reviews of the others.

I hadn't even heard the name Massimo Freccia before -- oops.