BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique Op. 14 – The London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Eugene Goossens – Dual Disc from 35mm master – CD + DualDisc of DVD-A/DVD-Video, 2 or 3-channel, Classic Records HDAD 2011 [Distr. by Naxos], 51.6 min. *****:
This is one of the Classic Records’ remastering of the original 3-channel Everest masters on 35mm mag film. It was done in 2006. Although the 35mm mag film format was far superior to even half-inch recording tape, with five times the oxide thickness, allowing a higher recording level with less hiss and noise, the original films have now begun to deteriorate and some of the premium-priced Classic Records reissues have replicated the wow and dropouts resulting. Not this one – released originally as an Everest LP in 1959 – which is excellent fidelity in the 3-channel 96K/24-bit option. There is also a 2-channel 192K/24-bit option for those who lack a center channel or their center channel speaker is a poor match for the left and right frontal speakers. Frankly, the difference between 192K and 96 K is minimal (to my ears) – the 24-bit makes more of a difference sonically.
Readers are probably more than familiar with the story of the Symphonie fantastique. I just learned recently that when Berlioz’ intended, Harriet Smithson, attended the second public performance of the symphony, she was the only one in the entire audience who was unaware that she herself was the stimulus for the entire symphony! When Leonard Bernstein called his video and CD presentation of the Symphonie fantastique “Berlioz Takes a Trip,” he wasn’t just celebrating 1960s culture and interest. The composer was still a student at the Paris Conservatory, but – as earlier more judgmental writers put it – “poisoned himself with opium” due to his “hopeless love” for Harriet. He may have even composed the work “under the influence.” This is pretty far out stuff for 1830!
The five movements are: Dreams, Passion; A Ball; Scene in the Fields; March to the Scaffold; and Dreams of a Witches’ Sabbath. The work was immediately recognized as something powerful and completely new. There are lots of recordings of it available, of course. Of the SACD options, Charles Munch with the Boston Symphony is considered a standard, recorded in 1954 – four years before stereo LPs came on the scene – but it is unfortunately only two-channels rather than three. (It also includes the Romeo and Juliette dramatic symphony, which is three channels.) While the first three movements are rather tame, the last two colorful ones seem to spring to life. The bells in the Watches’ Sabbath closing movement are more prominent than on any Symphonie fantastique I’ve ever heard – a real audiophile moment! Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra tear away at the work with the fastest tempi around and communicate an ardent Romantic feeling along the way on the fine series of Mercury Living Presence 3-channel reissues which Wilma Cozart supervised in 2005. It has the advantage of also offering four other Berlioz works: the Hungarian and Trojan Marches, and the Corsair and Roman Carnival Overtures. And the center channel is more pronounced than on the Everest reissue. I frankly lean toward this SACD, but this Classic Records reissue is also excellent, with even better sonics but to my ears a somewhat less involving performance.
– John Sunier
