Without any prior information, the first thing listeners will notice about Jos van Immerseel's 2008 recording of Hector Berlioz's
Symphonie fantastique is the umistakable period instrumentation, with
the sheen of the strings and the distinctive sound of early 19th century
woodwinds and brass, obvious at the outset. The second thing
discriminating listeners will notice is the great care Immerseel
takes with connecting notes, not only in the straightforward handling
of melodic phrases, but also in linking secondary figures in the
accompaniment, so that this chord progression or that isolated pitch
makes sense within the larger scheme of things. This is where the
performance either rises or falls, depending on what one wants to get
out of this work. To the extent that Berlioz
created Symphonie fantastique to show off his innovative orchestration,
this recording goes as far as any historically informed and scholarly
version to make sure that everything is heard clearly, not merely as
separate sounds, but as integral parts of the greater, kaleidoscopic
whole. Where this rendition might be regarded as a failure is in its
lack of visceral excitement, which seems to be the unintended result of
producing an immaculate-sounding performance. Immerseel
gets astonishing sonorities from the ensemble Anima Eterna Brugge, and
the engineers of Zig Zag Territoires capture them to perfection, but no
one remembered to make the music cook. If Symphonie fantastique is
deprived of its passion, delirium, fury, violence, and horror, it is
merely an exercise in futility. The point of this work and its bizarre
program is to portray the extreme emotional life of its drug-addled
protagonist. Yet because it is played here at somewhat slower tempos
that feel plodding, and with a meticulous precision that seems overly
fussy, it doesn't rush madly, it doesn't whirl feverishly, and it
doesn't fly off its handle, but seems too self-conscious to really let
things rip. The sole exception is the Dream of a Witches' Sabbath,
which is almost as fiendish and hair-raising as one might wish, but
comes much too late to save the performance. Conversely, Le Carnaval
romain is the best selection on the album because it has a wonderful
period sound and is played with the verve and energy missing in the
Symphonie. At points, Immerseel
seems to pull back slightly in his pacing, but these are minor
adjustments for the sake of clarity that don't impede the vitality of
the whole overture, least of all in the final stretch. So if clear
performances of these classics are required, this CD will fill that
need, but for wild and thrilling Romantic music, this recording of
Symphonie fantastique is not a contender. (Blair Sanderson)Without any prior information, the first thing listeners will notice about Jos van Immerseel's 2008 recording of Hector Berlioz's
Symphonie fantastique is the umistakable period instrumentation, with
the sheen of the strings and the distinctive sound of early 19th century
woodwinds and brass, obvious at the outset. The second thing
discriminating listeners will notice is the great care Immerseel
takes with connecting notes, not only in the straightforward handling
of melodic phrases, but also in linking secondary figures in the
accompaniment, so that this chord progression or that isolated pitch
makes sense within the larger scheme of things. This is where the
performance either rises or falls, depending on what one wants to get
out of this work. To the extent that Berlioz
created Symphonie fantastique to show off his innovative orchestration,
this recording goes as far as any historically informed and scholarly
version to make sure that everything is heard clearly, not merely as
separate sounds, but as integral parts of the greater, kaleidoscopic
whole. Where this rendition might be regarded as a failure is in its
lack of visceral excitement, which seems to be the unintended result of
producing an immaculate-sounding performance. Immerseel
gets astonishing sonorities from the ensemble Anima Eterna Brugge, and
the engineers of Zig Zag Territoires capture them to perfection, but no
one remembered to make the music cook. If Symphonie fantastique is
deprived of its passion, delirium, fury, violence, and horror, it is
merely an exercise in futility. The point of this work and its bizarre
program is to portray the extreme emotional life of its drug-addled
protagonist. Yet because it is played here at somewhat slower tempos
that feel plodding, and with a meticulous precision that seems overly
fussy, it doesn't rush madly, it doesn't whirl feverishly, and it
doesn't fly off its handle, but seems too self-conscious to really let
things rip. The sole exception is the Dream of a Witches' Sabbath,
which is almost as fiendish and hair-raising as one might wish, but
comes much too late to save the performance. Conversely, Le Carnaval
romain is the best selection on the album because it has a wonderful
period sound and is played with the verve and energy missing in the
Symphonie. At points, Immerseel
seems to pull back slightly in his pacing, but these are minor
adjustments for the sake of clarity that don't impede the vitality of
the whole overture, least of all in the final stretch. So if clear
performances of these classics are required, this CD will fill that
need, but for wild and thrilling Romantic music, this recording of
Symphonie fantastique is not a contender. (Blair Sanderson)
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