Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique [Inbal-Radio Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt] 

Berlioz masterpiece isn't a great regular in my Blog, this is only its fifth appearance in over three years, however i played this work on the way to Church last Sunday [10th March 2013], and here's the work again on the way to Church this Sunday!, maybe the work will become a Sunday thing, but i must admit it was an enlightening thing playing this Symphony twice in a short space of time, it made me think deeper about it, and i would say of the two, this was the more enjoyable experience, maybe i was into it more, this is the very first disc i bought of this work, in those days i planned to only buy one disc of each work, but that's changed, i think i own five or six of these discs now, each gives a slightly different stance, and it's great to have a fresh perspective every time i listen to this work.

Eliahu Inbal is Israeli, he is now 77, and he made this recording in 1987, i believe the recording is live, the front cover artwork is not great, i much prefer photography, but it is actually well done.

I liked the two shorter movements, they are both really full of rhythm and visuality, one joyous fun, the other sinister 'fun', both have their place, and on this listening it was the gorgeous waltz of The Ball that i found irresistible, it starts off with an introduction which sounds mysterious and ominous [0:00-0:37], the use of a couple of harps add to the mystery, and when the waltz comes in [0:40+], you can feel being swept off the floor in a gliding dance, of course the waltz reminds me of Strauss, the way he can have you swaying is so infectious, there's a lovely denouement at [4:34-4:38], and afterwards the waltz seems to take on a greater franticness, the two winds [clarinet & oboe / the lovers] have their little dialogue, before a final sweep and close of the waltz.

Here's Leonard Bernstein conducting the second movement 'Un Bal' on YouTube.

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique [Skrowaczewski-Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra] 

A version that i haven't played all that much, i think that this is the third time i've listened to it, a cold walk through the park, Skrowaczewski is making some nice discs for Oehms Classics, according to my Blog, i haven't played this work for just over a year, now that's a long time, so it was wonderful to refresh my soul with this lovely work again, the melodies and ideas are wonderful.

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski was born in Poland, he is now 89, wow that's getting on in years, but he still seems to be going strong, he made this recording in 2002, the front and back visuals are are good, a nice picture on the front, and the back is well laid out.

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique [Jarvi-Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra]

The first time i played this disc, i felt that Jarvi was bringing out the beauty in every little phrase, lighting on every nuance, and showing everyone 'here, look at this little bit', indeed i found that he would bring forth startling new sonorities and ideas, i would hear things that i didn't know were in this work, but... many times at the expense of a long term vision for the flow of the narrative, and even though on this listen i still felt somewhat the same, maybe it's not so pronounced, it does feel like an average reading.

Paavo Jarvi is Estonian, he was born in 1962, and he will be 49 next week, of course everyone knows his famous Father, and i'm sure that upbringing introduced him to lots of Composers, he recorded this disc in 2000, the front cover is a very good one [by Sheila Rock], a close up head and shoulders of Jarvi, good use of the hand, and it's good to have a dark background, and dark clothing, it highlights the skin tones, nice sharp photo as well.

This is a work i've played so often, that sometimes i feel i've 'played it out of my system', that i don't have that same sense of wonderment when anticipating playing it again, but once i get going, the thrill comes back, this is one of the excellent reasons you should have a number of different versions available of a certain work, it brings freshness and a fresh perspective to the experience, on this listening, no one movement really stood out amongst the rest, i guess i liked the fourth movement 'March to the Scaffold', full of lots of imagery, in a 54 minute work it only takes up 9% of the whole, and yet it's the link to life and death, our Protagonist is alive at the start, but dead by the end, Jarvi brings out the rhythmic rumble of the timpani at the start [0:00-0:27], nice offstage sounding, along with the muted sharp brass, and the pleading bassoon playing in its high registers [0:40-0:50], and in its lower registers later [1:17-1:36], some of the following brass forte's sound a little tame, especially the braying and rasping of tubas, needs to be more demonic, but still enjoyable.

Here's Leonard Bernstein conducting the fourth movement on YouTube.

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
[Gergiev-Wiener Philharmoniker] 

This is only the second time that Berlioz appears in my Blog, i wrote about this work last April with Bychkov [23rd April 2011], and i love Gergiev's way with Berlioz, he has a certain style, a certain way that's hard to put your finger on, i like his interpretation, very well recorded to boot. 

Valery Gergiev was born in Russia in 1953, now 58 years old, he is the principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra at the moment, he recorded this work in 2003, the front cover shot [photo by Marco Borgreve], is a nice portrait of Gergiev, nice use of dark and light, and shadows on the face. 

The Symphonie Fantastique is full of clever little musical stories, there's also a wonderful flow to proceedings, i just love the sweeping waltz in the second movement, and here i would say it was the best movement i heard this time, however i feel that the fourth movement 'March to the Scaffold' is so full of delicious musical imagery, it's the shortest movement at just under 5 minutes, starts with ominous low marching drums, and muted and low military brass [0:00-0:27], there's a lovely resonance with those drums, and they get louder and more menacing as the movement continues [0:53+ & 1:19+], and then that bassoon!, almost manically cackling away in the background [1:23-1:43], i like the way Berlioz explodes the whole thing into one cacophonous noise [1:43+], and then there's the rasping flatulent tuba! [2:10-2:15 & 2:53-2:58], really effective, well this isn't an English hanging scaffold, but of course a French guillotine scaffold, and the final pages are full of musical imagery, just before the blade drops, the protagonist can hear the plaintive sad cry of his beloved on the clarinet [4:19-4:27], and the blade comes down and his head rolls into the basket [4:27-4:29], and the crowd cheers! [4:32-4:49], something that Liszt would have loved, and he made a piano transcription of the whole thing, a great little Scherzo.

Here's Leonard Bernstein conducting the second movement on YouTube.

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique [Bychkov-Orchestre De Paris] 

This is the very first time that Berlioz has appeared in my Blog, long overdue, i haven't played this work for quite a while, so it was good to revisit this again today.

Semyon Bychkov was born in Russia, and is now an American citizen, he is 58 years old, he made this recording in 1993, the booklet front cover shows Bychkov in a casual pose with jeans and sweatshirt [photo by Holger Scheibe], with a grainy grey background, with the lettering in blue and yellow, almost written in marker pen style, i like the finished visual product.

A recording / interpretation that is neither at either extreme, yet enjoyable in its own right, the Marche Au Supplice' [March to the Scaffold] was brilliant, it's the shortest piece of Symphonie Fantastique, at 4:37 on this recording, but is packed full of goodies, a lovely military feel to it, with drums and brass, and that off stage vague instrumentation stuff too!, i like the growling bassoons at the beginning [0:08-0:24], the forte explosions are nicely caught in this recording [0:26 & 1:02], brass and drums really do hit you, the chattering bassoons [1:16-1:33], but it's when the brass churn out their main theme [1:34+] that it takes to flight, with the 'raspberry' brass really adding to the background rhythm [2:16+], right at the end the plaintive clarinet squealing away [4:01-4:11], represents his last anguished cry as the guillotine blade comes down, a nice 'little' Berlioz touch!, for me on this listen the most exciting bit of this work.

Here's Semyon Bychkov conducting the fourth movement 'March to the Scaffold' on YouTube.