Customer Reviews

Bernstein Century - Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, etc.

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This performace must be among the better renditions of the Symphonie out there. Sir Colin Davis, of course, has the reputation of being THE Berlioz conductor (and his Concertgebouw recording is usually considered to be THE reference recording), but there is nothing wrong with alternative interpretations. In any case, Bernstein, with his Mahler expertise, was certainly no stranger to grandiose music. Besides, you also get the excellent bonus track where Bernstein's narration takes you into the music and helps you understand. This CD is a great place to get started with the Berlioz masterpiece. Perhaps you'll opt for the widely popular Davis recordings later, or maybe you'll eventually prefer the period instrument recordings by Norrington or Gardiner. Meanwhile, though, make a safe investment in this CD. It will not disappoint.

The final movement is on Kerman's "Listen" cd accompaniment to his textbook. At least, that's the first place I heard it.

Supposedly, the Davis recording is the definitive performance. Meaning if you want a reference tool, that's what everyone compares every performance afterwards to. As in, "well, it wasn't as good as the Davis Concertgebouw..." (see title of my review) Don't let that scare you away from different interpretations. Bernstein shines in the final two movements of this "Symphony Fantastique" performance. Considering these are the most commonly known parts to the symphony, and in my opinion the most entertaining, there's no reason why one can't enjoy the fine job Bernstein did on them.

The bombastic nature of the final "Dream of the Witches Sabbath" movement is nothing short of brilliant in creating a purgatory-ish enviornment. I've never been to hell myself - though I have been told by some to take a visit - but I'd imagine if I had to describe it in the context of a program symphony... it'd be a big bad rip-off of the Berlioz Witches' Sabbath movement here.

Anyhoo, if you're a fan of this work, Bernstein's interpretation of the IV & V movements are breathtaking, and appropriately so. (Honestly, I always laugh at the last morbid moments of the IV movement. What with the juxtaposition of sudden... well... tumbling... and joyous horns.) That isn't to say the other three movements aren't any fun to listen to, but the last two stand out in this recording. By far this is the biggest, and best controlled, version I've ever heard, and I've heard quite a few good ones, and a few that are disgraceful and should only be used by means of torturing in bad taste.

Or, if you're looking for some interesting "classical" music, STEP AWAY FROM THE YANNI or lame wannabe Debussys... also that non-stop italian singing in Opera may be a bit much for you right now. Just perk up to the last track of this cd, where Bernstein explains the piece, and, in precise detail, Berlioz's notes for understanding what's going on in this explicit program symphony. It's not too hard to follow, and actually quite enjoyable while attentively listening. The Symphony I mean, Bernstein's voice scares me to no end. (kidding!)

On a final note, the low string scrapings on the second round of the "Dies Irae" parody seems to annoy unwitting (and probably unintentional on their part) listeners much more than any heavy metal song does. "Master of Puppets" wishes it could be as dark and grating as the Witches Sabbath. Try blaring it sometime to release tension, or when you're feeling especially masochistic. Fun for all ages!

Long before the days of psychedelic rock and the prog-rock concept album, there was "Symphonie Fantastique" composed in 1830 by the great Hector Berlioz.
Even after its inception 175 years ago, the "Symphonie Fantastique" is regarded as a milestone not just in classical music but in all areas of music. Considering the time period in which it was created, the music, ideas and concept were way ahead anything else that was being done (except for maybe Beethoven who had died only three years before Berlioz completed this work).
The concept behind "Symphonie Fantastique" is an extraordinary one. A young musician falls in love with a beautiful woman but can't have her. So he poisons himself with opium in hopes of killing his pain (and himself). Instead of dying, the musician falls into a hallucinegenic sleep in which he has surrealistic dreams - all of which involve the woman in question. The beloved one is represented by a simple yet haunting theme which is heard in numerous variations throughout the work's five movements. Although, the symphony does not have any words, it isn't difficult to picture the scenery in which each movement takes place and it's also not difficult to sense the intrusion when the beloved's theme occurs each time throughout the work. The first movement sets the pace for the entire work with a majestic Beethoven-like theme along with the aforementioned theme of the beloved. The second movement depicts a giant ballroom with a danceable Strauss-like waltz interupted by the same theme. The third movement takes place in an outdoor countryside and is an overall pleasant piece. The beloved's theme here sounds like a rude intrusion in contrast to the calmness. The fourth movement, "March to the Scaffold", is a dynamic tour-de-force in which the troubled musician imagines he is being executed for killing his beloved. Finally, the last movement, "Dream of the Witches Sabbath", is a hellish nightmare in which the musician imagines he's dead in hell surrounded by witches, demons and evil spirits (this was before heavy metal). The chilling haunting quality of the music is perfectly executed. Its use of violins bowing the strings with the opposite end of the bow is especially affective in creating the bone-rattling goulish sounds heard towards the end of the movement.
Indeed, as mentioned above, Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" was way ahead of its time when it was created. In a strange way, it does include elements of psychedelic music (the hallucinegenic theme of the work), prog (the fact that the five movements do indeed form a cohesive whole) and metal (the musical depiction of demonic things). And this was way back in the early 19th century.
On this disc, Leonard Bernstein not only does a flawless job at presenting this work, he also gives an excellent illustration of it in his discussion "Berlioz Takes A Trip" which is heard on Track 6 of this CD. Here, Bernstein dissects the piece musically and conceptually, allowing the listener to take a peek into Berlioz's obsessive mad genius. The remastered sound quality is also amazing giving the entire work a fresh clarity.
So there you have it, the first fruits of Psychedelic Prog-Metal all rolled into one musical work created 175 years ago by a brilliant composer by the name of Hector Berlioz.
Definitely a Symphonie Fantastique.

This wonderful recording of Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" and the companion recording, "Berlioz Takes A Trip," were the products of one of Leonard Bernstein's most memorable CBS telecasts. He made it clear that, long before modern hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD, Berlioz had envisioned a young man who was obsessed with a beautiful but elusive woman that he took opium and had a series of vision, all involving her. Berlioz represents the woman with a recurring theme, literally a "fixed idea," much as Wagner did with his leitmotifs in his musical dramas, particularly the "Ring Cycle." Berlioz's personal motivation for composing the symphony was his love for an English Shakespearean actress, Henrietta Smithson, whom Berlioz saw perform in Paris. He actually pursued her and they eventually married, but the marriage was failure because they were both very intense, egocentric individuals. They also had a language barrier and were unable to overcome it.

The March 5, 1968, performance in Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fischer Hall) of the amazing 1830 composition (completed only three years after the death of Beethoven) has remained a milestone. Seldom did Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic succeed in giving such a definite, exciting performance. The orchestra plays with great precision and intensity throughout the five-movement work, capturing all the nuances and passion of this incredible piece.

Originally, Columbia issued the LP verison of this recording with a small disc that included Berlioz's lecture, which had been adapted from his "Young People's Concert" on CBS. This is clearly Bernstein at his best, both as lecturer and as conductor.

Leonard Bernstein recorded the Symphonie fantastique three times over a relatively short period: 1963, 1968 and 1976. The first two, with the New York Philharmonic, were for Columbia Records (CBS/Sony), the third try was with l'Orchestre national de France for EMI. He left multiple recordings of other works, but none over such a short time-span.

The easiest way to tell them apart is by checking the timing for the 3rd movement,"Scene aux champs" :
1963 = 17:14
1968 = 15:09
1976 = 16:32
All three recordings have been issued on CD. The EMI recording is easy to find. Unfortunately, CBS has confused the situation with the two New York recordings.

In 1990, the 1968 version was issued as part of the "Great Performances" series (MYK 38476)
In 1992, the 1963 version was issued as part of the silly "Royal Edition" (SMK 47525). IT WAS MISLABELED AS THE 1968 RECORDING.
In 1999, the 1963 version was issued as part of the "Bernstein Century" series (SMK 60968). It was mislabeled as "FIRST RELEASE ON CD of the 1963 version."

Personally, I prefer the 1968 version, even though it is only available on an early "Great Performances" CD transfer with no fillers.
The 1963 version sounds the same on the "Bernstein Century" as it did on the "Royal Edition". The former is coupled with 2 overtures and a march, the latter with a 15 minute talk, "Berlioz Takes a Trip," (recorded in 1968 with musical examples taken from the 1968 version).

Which brings me to my all-time favorite performance of this symphony by Bernstein. It's from 1969, but it's not on CD. It's a DVD, part of the 10 DVD set, "Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts" released by KULTUR (D 1503). It's not as expensive as it sounds - about $90 (new) on Amazon. The May 25, 1969 broadcast is "Berlioz Takes a Trip," an hour-long version of the 15 minute talk on the "Bernstein Century" CD. It does not include a full performance of the symphony, except for the last movement, but all the juicy parts are there, and Lenny was always more fun to watch and listen to than to just listen to.

I was expecting great things in this recording: Leonard Bernstein is one of the most revered conducters of the twentieth century and certainly knew more about interpretation and thematic development than many of us could ever forget in the first place and the New York Phil is arguably one of the premier recording orchestras in the world. That being said, *most* of this recording is brilliant. Orchestral balance is wonderful, and Bernstein's interpretation of dynamic and tempo markings really bring the piece to life. But be warned: the famed "Dies Irae" in the fifth movement is ATROCIOUSLY out of tune. The low brass and low strings/bassoon are out of tune during the entire movement, and the high trumpets push pitch through the roof. This recording does not do justice to the piece, the composer, the orchestra, or the director. If intonation is not a problem, the quality and interpretation of this performance is fantastic; however, there is no excuse for this kind of intonation to be recorded on a studio album.

Ok, I may be biased, but I think this is a fantastic production/recording of Hector Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique! Not only is the music itself a monumental work of art, but it is Bernstein conducting this glorious piece! This cd will capture your soul for the entire time that it is playing. Leonard Bernstein was a master at getting the orchestra to play as energetic as possible, and he does not let us down here! His lecture at the end (at least I assume that it is Bernstein) is actually quite informative, but I like that kind of stuff.

The seller was true to his word!

Bernstein conducting Berlioz is no joke: he does excellent with the first three movements, where his NYPO strings can do no harm. But in the last two movements, there is something wrong. I call it the "wet noodle" problem: his strings seem limp, don't have the impact they should have in two movements where they should be AS involved as the brass and percussion.
But if you are exploring, don't hesitate to get this disc: Bernstein does a great talk titled "Berlioz takes a trip". Very entertaining, very much worth it.
One star less for the wet noodle strings.

This is definitely highly recommended! His lecture on this "first psychedelic symphony" ever written was sure helpful. And the performance --- Berstein did show lots of passion and clarity to make it into a nearly flawless performance. The final two movement was especially giving me the chill it's hellishly excellent.

Those taking music appreciation, this is a MUST BUY! Enjoy your trip... without being drugged of course.

It is truly amazing, especially the last two movements. I can't remember the last time a piece of music gave me goosebumps like this. And the commentary by Bernstein on the last track gives great insight into what the music means.