What are you listening to?

[Seán]

This afternoon I happened to hear a performance of the second movement from the Hector Berlioz materpiece, Symphonie Fantastique. It was on Lyric and what I heard saddened me as the music lacked emotion, the forces were too thin, the tempo was too slow, when it had finished the DJ told us that it was performed by the London Classical Players led by Roger Norrington. Now I know that he does have his admirers here and I do not want to criticise the man but I have yet to hear anything by him that impressed me.

Does anybody have their recording of Symphonie Fantastique and if you do what do you make of it?

[Jose Echenique]

The Norrington Symphonie Fantastique was one of the earliest assaults on the Romantic repertoire with period instruments (other than Beethoven symphonies). The Gardiner came soon after, but neither seemed to challenge the best performances on modern instruments. But first of all we need to understand what we are hearing: both Gardiner and Norrington were pioneers exploring uncharted territory in the 1980´s and early 90´s, no one alive had the slightest idea of how a French orchestra sounded in 1830. Both are attentive and obedient to what´s in the score, both have of course also studied performance practice in France in the first decades of the XIX Century, but as in Baroque Music in the early 60´s, the first ensembles that ventured into this repertoire were tentative at first, how do I play this Ophicleides? how much vibrato goes into that?
We really couldn´t expect the same excellence in those early Berlioz efforts from what was going on in the Baroque repertoire, something that took almost 50 years of experience before we got the 4 Seasons and the Brandenburg Concertos, now played to breathtaking perfection.
Although it is true that Norrington is nowhere a conductor in the class of a Harnoncourt, Gardiner or Christie, he was actually very brave in venturing so early into this repertoire. To see how much we have advanced you don´t have to go further than the much newer recording of the Symphonie Fantastique with Anima Eterna in the Zig-Zag label, now the body of strings sounds fuller because the musicians have gotten much better!
Still those early efforts have their charm, and at the time some of us did hear new and mighty interesting things, but we couldn´t have reached the excellent standards of today without those perilous, difficult early efforts.

[fergus]

Just for Don; the "missing" image....





....from a different source: I hope that you can see this one Don.

I love Scheherazade, it is really great music and I have a few gorgeous performances in my collection, 'tis time to listen to them again I feel.

Don't forget to share your thoughts after your listening sessions Seán....perhaps a mini project in there somewhere?!?!

[Seán]

The Norrington Symphonie Fantastique was one of the earliest assaults on the Romantic repertoire with period instruments (other than Beethoven symphonies). The Gardiner came soon after, but neither seemed to challenge the best performances on modern instruments. But first of all we need to understand what we are hearing: both Gardiner and Norrington were pioneers exploring uncharted territory in the 1980´s and early 90´s, no one alive had the slightest idea of how a French orchestra sounded in 1830. Both are attentive and obedient to what´s in the score, both have of course also studied performance practice in France in the first decades of the XIX Century, but as in Baroque Music in the early 60´s, the first ensembles that ventured into this repertoire were tentative at first, how do I play this Ophicleides? how much vibrato goes into that?
We really couldn´t expect the same excellence in those early Berlioz efforts from what was going on in the Baroque repertoire, something that took almost 50 years of experience before we got the 4 Seasons and the Brandenburg Concertos, now played to breathtaking perfection.
Although it is true that Norrington is nowhere a conductor in the class of a Harnoncourt, Gardiner or Christie, he was actually very brave in venturing so early into this repertoire. To see how much we have advanced you don´t have to go further than the much newer recording of the Symphonie Fantastique with Anima Eterna in the Zig-Zag label, now the body of strings sounds fuller because the musicians have gotten much better!
Still those early efforts have their charm, and at the time some of us did hear new and mighty interesting things, but we couldn´t have reached the excellent standards of today without those perilous, difficult early efforts.

Thanks for that insight Pepe. I love the second Munch BSO recording and that's what I compare other versions to. I suppose Norrington was being brave, the Anima Eterna performance sounds interesting.

[Seán]

....from a different source: I hope that you can see this one Don.

I love Scheherazade, it is really great music and I have a few gorgeous performances in my collection, 'tis time to listen to them again I feel.

Don't forget to share your thoughts after your listening sessions Seán....perhaps a mini project in there somewhere?!?![/quote]
That's an interesting suggestion.

[Seán]

I love Scheherazade, it is really great music and I have a few gorgeous performances in my collection, 'tis time to listen to them again I feel.

Don't forget to share your thoughts after your listening sessions Seán....perhaps a mini project in there somewhere?!?!

That's an interesting suggestion.

[DonKC]

The Norrington Symphonie Fantastique was one of the earliest assaults on the Romantic repertoire with period instruments (other than Beethoven symphonies).

In my opinion, the term "assault" is a perfect description.

[Jose Echenique]

The Norrington Symphonie Fantastique was one of the earliest assaults on the Romantic repertoire with period instruments (other than Beethoven symphonies).

In my opinion, the term "assault" is a perfect description.

LOL!

[Seán]

The Norrington Symphonie Fantastique was one of the earliest assaults on the Romantic repertoire with period instruments (other than Beethoven symphonies).

In my opinion, the term "assault" is a perfect description.

I thought that a very fitting description but I said nothing, I do agree with it.

[fergus]

Enjoying some very relaxing Guitar music from Fernando Sor this afternoon....





Lovely!