MEDIUM Vinyl Record
WEIGHT 180gr (black vinyl) 33rpm
CONDITION sealed
COVER Standard
CONDITION COVER M mint
SERIALNUMBER No
LIMITED Yes
MISCELLANEOUS Stereo
COVER DAMAGES No, we take care about that
MUSICIAN HOMEPAGE --
Paris Conservatoire Orchestra
Ataúlfo Argenta - conducting
HECTOR BERLIOZ (1803 - 1869)
symphonie fantastique op. 14
rêveries, passions (largo - allegro agitato ed appassionato assai) - 12:40
un bal (valse - allegro non troppo) - 6:20
scène aux champs (adagio) (part 1) - 8:25
scène aux champs (adagio) (concluded) - 7:05
marche au supplice (allegretto non troppo) - 6:25
songe d'une nuit du sabbat (larghetto - allegro) - 9:35
Behind the mysterious title Symphonie fantastique is to be found what was undoubtedly one of the most powerful musical compositions of its day
The highly controversial discussions which this autobiographical, extraordinary work provoked are quite understandable when one considers that Beethoven and Schubert had just put down their quills for the last time and that Wagner had only just left his childhood behind him
In commenting upon the daring cyclical structure of the work, one French music critic said, “In Berlioz’s Symphony we believe that we have seen the prelude to a revolution in instrumental music”
In spite of being acknowledged and praised as a composer, Berlioz was never given the professorship he coveted at the Paris Conservatoire, and it might appear as if the renowned Conservatoire Orchestra was making its apologies for this in the present excellent recording
The various scenes of the intoxicating programme music are approached with daring; dreadful, macabre ideas are presented in a low, gloomy and dark timbre until finally a heroic attitude comes to the fore, accompanied by thundering drum rolls, when the death sentence is pronounced
Fantastique!
RECORDING November 1957 at Maison de la Mutualité, Paris
ENGINEERING Ken Cress
LABEL Decca
RE MASTERING Willem Makee
RE RELEASED June 1997
AVERAGE RATING 5 Stars out of 5
PRESSING by Pallas
MADE IN Germany
STYLE Classic / Romantic Symphony
AVAILABLE as long as inventory