Symphonie Fantastique / Hungarian March

Berlioz (Artist), Paray (Artist), Detroit Symphony (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 16, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000057M0
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,133 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: 1. Reveries And Passions, Largo. Allegro Agitato e appassionato assai

2. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: 2. A Ball, Valse. Allegro non troppo

3. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: 3. Scene In The Country, Adagio

4. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: 4. March To The Scaffold, Allegretto non troppo

5. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: 5. Dream Of A Witches' Sabbath, Larghetto. Allegro

6. Hungarian March

7. Trojan March

8. The Corsair, Overture

9. The Roman Carnival, Overture

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enthralling Fantastique for the ages, February 12, 1999

By 

Mark McCue (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Symphonie Fantastique / Hungarian March (Audio CD)

This classic from 1960 is among Paul Paray's best recorded efforts, and that is at dizzying heights.

The artist sticks to the score closely, yet utilizes the wide range of the conductor's art to mesmerizing effect. The waltz is demonic, the Sabbath manaical, the reveries and passions neurotic to the point that we have a portrait of Berlioz himself with all his obsessions. Paray is really the only conductor to give us all this and not have the work run away from him.

Throughout, the Detroit Symphony revels in its virtuosity, with power to burn, tossing off wind passages in particular as if they were bon-mots.

For my taste, this is one of the finest Berlioz recordings of all time.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still enthralling for the ages, April 26, 2002

By 

Mark McCue (Denver) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Symphonie Fantastique / Hungarian March (Audio CD)

My unacknowledged review from a few years ago is still a reflection of how I hear and see this superlative accomplishment by Paray.

But there's a little more I'd like to offer. Recently I ran across his 1948 version on old Vox vinyl with the Colonne Orchestra. The results are remarkably similar, the Colonne rather fizzier due to playing styles, the Detroit precise and capable of more light and shadow gradations due to impeccable sound. It's beyond me why De Lys in its compendium "Paul Paray: the Paris Years" declines to include the '48 Fantastique, but instead includes the Saint Saens Cto 2 with Darre already issued on a Pathe memorial to the pianist.

As for Colin Davis's releases: do those who praise such obviously inferior offerings really listen to anything else or research anything they critique? If you examine the standard published scores, you find perfunctory attention or outright alterations in the British conductor's issues (can't he or his players COUNT consistently?) because the resulting slop induces shag and shake that is intolerable set against Paray's scrupulous care, communication, and achievement.

This will remain THE recorded monument to Berlioz's creative stature for another 40 years.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Seed....Par Excellence....Happy "200th" Birthday Hector!, August 6, 2003

By 

Peter Prainito (Lombard, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Symphonie Fantastique / Hungarian March (Audio CD)

This almost impossible-to-find recording of the Berlioz "Symphonie Fantastique" is in a class all it's own. I own quite a few recordings of this wonderful symphony (and some are quite good) but none of them has the fire and excitement of this classic Mercury Living Presence issue. The recording dates back to 1959 and sounds amazing in it's clarity. Toward the beginning of the 5th movement "Dream of a Witches' Sabbath" you can actually hear the entrance of the idee fixe theme played by the solo E-flat clarinet. In most recordings this solo starts much too quietly, but here the theme is plump and proud in all it's naughtiness! This is one example of many such orchestral details that are astounding. You can tell that Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony are just relishing playing this symphony. The emotion and drive from the beginning until the end never lets up. To make this "collector's disc" (if you are lucky enough to find a copy) even more appealing is the generous addition of The Hungarian March, Trojan March, Corsair Overture, and Roman Carnival Overture. All played with the same brillance as in the symphony.
I have a feeling that this CD may be out of print, which makes no sense given it's excellence coupled with the fact that this year marks the 200th anniversary of Berlioz' birth. Perhaps Mercury/Philips will re-release it. Hope so. I had to go to my library to find it. Good luck, it's worth the effort.
My Strongest Recommendation.

UPDATE: This SUPERB recording is back in circulation as a SACD. I just received my copy today, at a great price. It never sounded better!!! GO FOR IT!!!!!