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Notes and Editorial Reviews
BERLIOZ
Symphonie fantastique. Le carnaval romain ouverture
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Charles Mackerras, cond; Royal PO
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ROYAL PHILHARMONIC 28310 (62:20)
When this program turned up a decade ago (Intersound 2831,
Fanfare
22: 5), Christopher Abbot gave a blow-by-blow description of the
Fantastique
performance to conclude, “Mackerras’s conception is similar to fellow countryman Sir Colin Davis’s—not extreme but never bland . . . . In fact, I
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would recommend this over most other versions and place it in the distinguished company of Davis (all three Philips), Gardiner (Philips), and Thomas (RCA).” An eminently recommendable performance.
FANFARE: Adrian Corleonis
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...Mackerras and the RPO at CTS Studios, Wembley, may not be so detailed, rhythmically exact or disciplined, but overall their view of this watershed symphony is freer, more flowing and less fussy, there’s more adrenalin. Spiritually and stylistically they get to its heart – witness the infectious grace of the ‘Ball’ and the magical cor anglais and offstage oboe dialogue of ‘Scene in the Country’. Like Davis and Abbado, Mackerras (a committed structuralist) observes the repeats of the first and fourth movements. He also (in the Klemperer tradition) favours the obbligato cornet part of the second.
-- Ates Orga, BBC Music Magazine Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Le carnaval romain Overture, Op. 9 by Hector Berlioz
Conductor:
Sir Charles Mackerras
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1843-1844; France
2.
Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 by Hector Berlioz
Conductor:
Sir Charles Mackerras
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1830; France
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
A Superb Fantastique by Sir Mack September 21, 2014
By owen ryan (lakewood, CA) See All My Reviews
"When Sir Charles mackerras passed away on 07-14-10 we lost a grand and possibly under appreciated conductor. He could always be counted on to give a solid quality performance. As John Quinn noted on musicweb-int., Mackerras was renowned as an operatic conductor so he was a natural for Berlioz's very theatrical Fantastique. I have several good performances of this work on CD (Munch/BSO being tops) and this version can stand comparison with any of them. The Carnaval Romain is equally fine and serves as a seamless preface to the Fantastique. The engineer on this and many of the other Arte Nova reissues of the RPO is Dick Lewzey who dependably produces excellent recordings. I was fortunate to get this on sale from Archiv (5 for $20) but would willingly pay the regular price which is a bargain."
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