3. Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis

Berlioz's greatest triumph

We are up to #3 on our list of the top 50 classical recordings of all-time. French composer Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique is an epic, programme symphony written in 1830.  The complete title is Symphonie fantastique: Épisode de la vie d'un artiste… en cinq parties or translated Fantastical Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist … in Five Sections.  It is one of the most important pieces in classical music, and dates from the very early part of the romantic period.  The symphony tells the story of an artist who poisoned himself with opium due to unrequited love (it is thought that Berlioz himself may have been under the influence of opium when composing the piece).  Although Berlioz later downplayed the programmatic aspect to the music, he did give each section a title and description of what the music is meant to depict.  The symphony was groundbreaking and revolutionary in conception and orchestration, especially for 1830, only three years after the death of Beethoven.

The inspiration for the symphony allegedly came from Berlioz’s own unrequited love for Irish actress Harriet Smithson, sparked after he had seen a performance of Hamlet with Smithson in the role of Ophelia.  He wrote her several letters that went unanswered.  The postscript is that supposedly Smithson eventually heard the symphony in 1832, shortly after its premiere, and fell in love with Berlioz’s genius.  They were married in 1833, but eventually the marriage ended in a bitter separation.  In this sense the work is really a sort of self-portrait of Berlioz.  Also, it is known that Berlioz suffered from bouts of loneliness, depression, and mood swings.   

The orchestration calls for over 90 instruments, making for an unusually large orchestra.  There are five movements, rather than the traditional four, which is another revolutionary element used by Berlioz.  The movements are as follows:

I. "Rêveries – Passions" (Reveries – Passions)

II. "Un bal" (A Ball)

III. "Scène aux champs" (Scene in the Fields)

IV. "Marche au supplice" (March to the Scaffold)

V. "Songe d'une nuit du sabbat" (Dream of a Witches' Sabbath)

The musical themes that recur throughout the symphony represents the protagonist being haunted by his dreams and the idea of his beloved.  When the dreams occur, they are accompanied by music.  In those dreams, he experiences joy, passion, melancholy, jealousy, fury, and tenderness.  With the history of the traditional forms of classical music immediately prior, the direction Berlioz takes is decidedly unconventional.  The intense harmonies and tempo changes are a significant departure from traditional forms seen with Haydn, Mozart, and even Beethoven. 

The second movement “Un Bal” is essentially a waltz.  But even in the midst of joyful celebration, the artist is haunted by thoughts of his beloved.  Two important side notes here:  Berlioz unusually deploys the use of two harps here, something you can listen for throughout the movement.  Also Berlioz later added a cornet part to the score that some conductors choose to include, while most use the originally published score without the cornet.  Personally I am a firm advocate for the inclusion of the cornet part, which will be mentioned again in this review. 

The third movement “Scene au champs” is a slower movement depicting a pastoral setting and some calm entering the artist’s heart, along with some hope and happy thoughts.  As the movement progresses, hope mingles with fear and a dark premonition that he will be rejected by his beloved.  There are two shepherds in the music, represented by English horns.  Eventually toward the end of the movement, when one shepherd calls, the other one doesn’t answer back.  The movement ends in loneliness, silence, and solitude.

The fourth movement is the “Marche au supplice” or march to the scaffold.  At this point the artist believes he is being spurned by his beloved, so in desperation he takes opium and falls asleep.  While dreaming he has strange visions, imagines killing his beloved, and being condemned to death.  He is marched to the scaffold, and is witnessing his own execution.  The march is solemn but interrupted by wild and brilliant outbursts, and then the haunting theme returns at the end. 

Finally, in the fifth movement "Songe d'une nuit du sabbat" meant to depict the artist’s funeral.  It becomes a vulgar affair, more of an orgy dance, a parody of the traditional Dies Irae, with the witches leading the dance.  Tempo changes abound, along with syncopated notes, chromatic touches, and trills.  It is great fun, and the combination of minor and major chords build to quite a climax.

Both Berlioz and Smithson are buried at Montmartre Cemetery in Paris.

Now to the recording at hand.  This is #3 on our list of the top 50 classical recordings of all time, and for me it is truly a desert island recording.  Recorded in 1974 in the historical Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with the Concertgebouw Orchestra led by Sir Colin Davis, it draws out the radical harmonies extraordinarily well, and builds the dramatic tension in every movement.  The acoustic of the Concertgebouw is ideal for the atmosphere that Berlioz creates, and Colin Davis and the Concertgebouw Orchestra play with intensity and focus.  The sound is warm yet detailed. 

There are many outstanding recorded versions of the this symphony, but what makes this one stand out for me are 1) Davis takes all the repeats in the score which in my opinion are absolutely essential, particularly in the fourth movement “Marche au Supplice” and 2) Davis chooses to use the solo cornet part that Berlioz added to the second movement “Un Bal” in the autographed score, which was published after his death.  The vast majority of recordings do NOT use the cornet part, but I believe it adds something important to the waltz.  Other recordings that are near the top are those conducted by John Eliot Gardiner and Jos van Immerseel.  The Boston Symphony Orchestra has recorded the piece many times to acclaim by Charles Munch and Seiji Ozawa, but alas every time with no repeats and no cornet part included.  Same for a stunningly recorded version by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Mariss Jansons.  A recent recording by the French orchestra Les Siecles and French conductor Francois-Xavier Roth has garnered tremendous acclaim and is well worth exploring, albeit once again without the repeats and cornet.  However, when it comes to the most complete performance, in very good sound, which builds drama and for me best represents the vision of Berlioz, I always return to the Colin Davis recording with the Concertgebouw.  It has stood the test of time.  Davis later re-recorded it with the Vienna Philharmonic and again with the London Symphony Orchestra, but neither reaches the heights nor depths of this one.  Happy listening!

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