Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique: San Francisco Symphony: MTT

Michael Tilson Thomas' Symphonie Fantastique remains the finest version to appear in recent memory, and its reissue at mid-price should induce any who hesitated the first time around to wait no longer. This performance has everything: superb playing, excellent pacing in the problematic slow movement, plenty of power in the March and Witches' Sabbath, and an unusual degree of truly French elegance. Through it all Thomas shapes the music with intelligence and a keen ear for color and detail that never compromises the necessary spontaneity or suppresses the music's wildness. The two Lelio extracts (Chorus of Shadows and the "Tempest" Fantasy) are equally well done and bring the playing time to more than 75 minutes, making this very well recorded disc an excellent value. Even in a crowded field, this 1997 recording easily withstands comparison to any of the great versions of the past (Munch, Markevitch, Bernstein), and it sounds better than any of them. If you haven't heard this disc, then you're missing something special. [8/6/2004] --David Hurwitz 1. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Reveries-Passions 2. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Un bal/ A Ball 3. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Scene In The Country 4. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: March To The Scaffold 5. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Dream Of A Witches' Sabbath 6. Lelio Or The Return To Life, Op. 14bis: II. Chorus of the Shades 7. Lelio Or The Return To Life, Op. 14bis: VI. Fantasia On Shakespear's 'The Tempest'

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Xuology (2007-10-03)

LAME Encoded!

cknvrp (2009-07-15)

Thank you so much. March to the Scaffold is one of my favorite pieces of music.