Berlioz · Symphonie Fantastique

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Berlioz · Symphonie Fantastique

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Berlioz · Symphonie Fantastique · Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Claudio Abbado
Classical | EAC | APE, CUE, LOG 206 MB | MP3 HQ, Tracks 89 MB | 1 CD | Covers | rs.com | 1984

Abbado brings the right dreamy atmosphere and feverish intensity to this score and the playing of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has all the polish and finesse one could expect. There is no attention-seeking expressive gesture from beginning to end, and much poetic feeling. indeed, in the slow movement it would be difficult to find any version currently before the public that surpasses this newcomer. Two points of interest should be noted: first, Abbado observes the exposition repeat in the first movement and again in the "March to the scaffold"; secondly, he incorporates the cornet part, which Klemperer was the first to include in his Philharmonia version (Columbia SAX2537, 8/64—nia). As a performance this can hold its own alongside the Karajan (DG 2530 597, 3/76) and the Colin Davis version with the Concertgebouw Orchestra on Philips listed above. As a recording, however, things are less straightforward. The LP version has strong competition to contend with, for apart from Davis and Karajan, there is the classic 1961 Beecham account with the French National Radio Orchestra (HMV SXLP30925, 11/79).

The DG sound is good without being impressive; it is a good deal freer from the artificial and synthetic qualities of which I was complaining in my last "Quarterly Retrospect" (February, page 957) in connection with Maazel's Rachmaninov Second Symphony (DG 2532 102, 1/84) but even so the balance is not always ideal. In the first movement, for example, many listeners may share my view that the oboe solo at fig. 16 is too recessed (though this is a fault on the right side, no doubt), and the balance at the opening of the "March to the scaffold- is less than ideal. The muted horns are very distant and the bassoons (bar 6) not well integrated by the side of most alternatives: Bernstein with the French National Orchestra (HMV ASD3397, I 1/77—nla) was the one I happened to take down from the shelf but almost any rival could have served. However, I would not want to dwell on these shortcomings for although the sound swims a little at times and there are other small points one could make, the recording is a great improvement on the Rachmaninov I mentioned above. The LP is not cut at a high level so that in the hushed, rapt pianissimo passages of the slow movement, which are magically played, one could be aware of surface noise but the pressing I heard was very smooth indeed.

On balance I would hesitate to say that this newcomer displaced Davis and Beecham—or for that matter either of the Karajan versions (the second version is on DG 2535 256, 5/78). But the CD is an altogether different matter for the completely silent background enables the most refined pianissimo to register fully. The CD version by Mehta and the NYPO (Decca 400 046-2, 3/83) is really no rival at all, except in terms of the actual sound, which is extremely vivid, present and well-balanced; the performance, however, is totally characterless. The new version is infinitely preferable and for those more concerned with musical characterization than the highest fi, it may well be worth acquiring in any of the three formats, for the cassette is satisfactory. In any event, the artistic distinction of this issue is not in question. R.L. Gramophone