Blind Comparison: Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique

[TheGSMoeller]

Thanks, Neal. 

Getting closer to announcing Boulez somebody as the winner!!

[Sergeant Rock]

Thanks, Neal. 

Getting closer to announcing Boulez somebody as the winner!!

I'll try to get my vote in tomorrow....okay, I can probably do more than just try 

Sarge

[TheGSMoeller]

I'll try to get my vote in tomorrow....okay, I can probably do more than just try 

Sarge

[Brian]

My post has been updated with my complete votes for all five! A truly bizarre final round, this is: I only liked one of the recordings! I only liked one, heard none that challenge my pre-game favorite (Lenny), and only handed out one final rating above 7 out of 10. This is a huge contrast to the Debussy and Mahler games where I was able to discover new favorite recordings. Fascinating.

[TimH]

Sorry I could not participate in the last round, but delighted to join in the final.

A4: (Some unpleasant sound distortion - but is this actually there on the original recording? I'll assume not.) A really exciting performance full of energy and character. Driven and robust, with taut swirling climaxes and permeated by a sense of drama and doom. Great brass. (Bell relatively tame.) 8.5/10.

B2: Rather slower than A4 - purposeful, controlled, measured, perhaps lacking the abandon of A4 and not quite as gripping in the climaxes. Particularly good in the quieter sections, with delicate and emotional strings. Nice to hear the optional cornet in the waltz, which sparkles and is charming, but perhaps dominates the movement a little too much. 7.5/10.

C2: Very poised and insightful - combines the sensitivity of B2 with the tightness and energy of A4. For me the most effective Scene aux champs rendition. Great last movement, strong earthy bell, tight fugal section. 8.0/10.

C4: Relatively weak first two movements - strings thin at opening, very slow and halting; waltz does not really sway. However, it gets stronger and stronger with powerful 4th and 5th movements. A special mention for the outstanding timpani. 7.0/10.

C5: Real problems with audience noise, especially in Scene aux champs with endless intrusive coughing. But what is going on in the last movement?!.... weird to have the bell doubled by a piano, and the speed is all over the place, especially when dies irae is stated by the tubas. Couldn't believe my ears! For me these problems ruined an otherwise interesting performance. 5/10.

Really close between C2 and A4... keep changing my mind.... but eventually the energy and verve of A4 wins out...

1st - A4
2nd - C2
3rd - B2
4th - C4
5th - C5

[TheGSMoeller]

B2 and A4 seem to be taking the lead, but that could all change with a few more votes. Anyone else like to chime in? 

[Sergeant Rock]

B2 and A4 seem to be taking the lead, but that could all change with a few more votes. Anyone else like to chime in? 

Yoda's swift kick to my ass didn't motivate me (well, it did, but Mrs. Rock had other ideas last night...and she's more persuasive  )  I'll get my vote in today. I've already heard each performance once and have a vague idea how I'll vote. I'll start comparing performances this afternoon to refine it.

Sarge

[xochitl]

ive only heard the first 2, but B2 ftw

[trung224]

  Here is my final result.
A4: This performance drives me to the end without holding back. Fast tempo but not lightweight. Though the Un Bal is somewhat too fast, but it is the inevitable result to relative to another movements. Rank 3
B2: This is the kind of Symphony Fantastique I like, hyper romantic in all movements. The dramatic tension was nicely built by rubato and so many surprising details. There are some off balances, especially in the trumpet section, possibly from the mastering ( I suspect it was recorded by quadrophonic technology in the late 1960s by EMI, RCA, or Philips, but after that was compressed to stereo). Another pros is the sound of Orchestra, very unique, especially in brass section, probably old French Orchestra, very authentic   . Rank 1
C2: Another performances I really like. The phrasing and tempo was well-judged, the only cons is that the conductor recesses all opportunities to exploit the climax, especially in the first , fourth movement. The finale is great. Rank 4
C4: The most middle-of-the road interpretation in this round. Very balance, energetic and mad in some places but otherwise it is very simple, and uninteresting to me. Overly, it is strong performance but IMHO not competitive with other performances in this round. Rank 5
C5: This performance received low opinions from other GMGer in final round, but I really love it. Because of the primitive sound, I can not rate this performances through details like C2 or C4, but it generates the insane excitement, especially in the March and The Finale. I especially like the way conductor do in the Finale 43:33, trumpet plays in slow tempo, to turn attention to bells and highlight the motif "Fate is coming". Another things I like is that the violin playing in the first movement, very deamonic in fast section or climax but can turn to dance-like in lyrical section after that, in contrast to somewhat monotholic sound I get from other performances. Rank 2

       In conclusion, I am very happy with every performances in final round. Even the most middle-of-the-road performances has its moment. But for me, B2>C5 >= A4>C2>C4.

[Brian]

Interesting to see opposite opinions happening!

C4: Thundery drums don't have much going on. The march is a letdown too, really lightweight timpani again

C4: A special mention for the outstanding timpani.

Various comments about C2 are getting me thinking that maybe I should listen to it again. I got the sense, listening, that I should have liked the first four movements more than I did - and the finale is superb. And I feel bad about not liking anything. 

[TheGSMoeller]

Interesting to see opposite opinions happening!

Various comments about C2 are getting me thinking that maybe I should listen to it again. I got the sense, listening, that I should have liked the first four movements more than I did - and the finale is superb. And I feel bad about not liking anything. 

I agree, give it another try, Brian.

[madaboutmahler]

Thanks everyone for their votes and very interesting comments! A few more votes before tommorow would be great.

[MishaK]

I'll try my best. Don't have much uninterfered listening time these days.

[MishaK]

I'm unable to download the last three at the moment. I get an "authorize download" button and when I click it nothing happens. I'll try again later. In the meantime here are my thoughts on the first two.

A4 - first movement intro and closing chords lacking in atmosphere, too aggressive and restless. Too uniform in character, all passions, no reveries. 2nd movement continues in same urgent, restless character. Again no contrast. Intro of idee fixe totally without magic. Colorless solo flute. Acceptable middle movement. March starts well but then gets rushed at the end. Sabbath starts nicely spooky. Dreadfully out of tune bells. Tuba is not interesting. Doesn't play with awareness of sound of ophicleide and covers up bassoons instead of blending. Ronde is more comical than scary. The end is pure circus music. The precision, attack and aggression of the orchestra sound old school American to me. I'm guessing BSO/Munch or Paray/DSO.


B2 newer recording. Nicely articulated and phrased first movement. Nice contrast of reveries and passions. Bal generally nice but entry of idee fixe again lacks magic and the ostinato cornet could be more subtle. Final accelerando lacks fire and starts late. Middle movement, conductor revels a bit too much in the beauty of his woodwinds. Doesn't pick up speed where it needs to, thus lacks contrast. Conventional but good march thrown off the conventional path with an unusually quick accelerando at end. Very nice tuba in the dies irae, nice vibrato and blends well with bassoons. Beautifully spooky. Not too brass dominant movement. Ronde starts oddly lethargic. But generally good movement. Generally nice attention to dynamic nuances throughout.

I must say I'm not too fond of either of these. If I'd have to choose I'd go for the second simply because it sounds better and is less monotonously aggressive, but I've never been a fan of the second movement cornet option and generally the interpretation is a bit conventional. But neither of these would be in my Berlioz pantheon.

[xochitl]

1st: b2
resplendent.  opulent in the extreme!  first time ive ever actually felt something emotional with this music.  nothing gimmicky, especially  the last movements which tend to cheapness most of the time.  the first movement started a little shaky but got truly cinematic after the intro.  the middle movements were actually interesting [i kno lol], and the last movements were, i dont know how to put it...human, dark, realistic instead of scary, cartoonish and frenetic.  also bravo to whatever orchestra this is.  the range of color and scale was overwhelming.  my only complaint is i couda done with a TINY bit more speed overall.

2nd: c5
first movement was all out of breath...i dont know how else to describe it.  it didnt mesh together.  2nd mvmt was really nice.  slow mvmt was passionate and sad and beautiful.  march is just insane in the awesomest way possible.  reminds me of the live munch/boston on youtube.  same goes for the finale, totally nuts!  this is supposed to be a witches sabbath after all, so i'm not too concerned with tempo fluctuations.  if anything it makes it more sinister or just plain scary.

3rd: c4
first movement just about perfectly judged.  it really soared!  middle movements were also quite perfect.  the march is balanced and sonorous, but not much more.  finale was heavy and laboured, though well played.  the last 2 minutes were very impressive

4th: c2
amazing introduction followed by a quite classical approach [which i didnt like btw].  too restrained for me.  march dragged on but i noticed how gorgeous and detailed it can be.  best bells ever in the finale, which was quite atmospheric.  the x-ray vision really works here...is this boulez? anyways the finale is quite an accompllishment as sheer music, even if i didnt feel much of anything beside admiration.

5th: a4
overall pretty good.  well played and dynamic.  maybe a bit too fast.  slow movement didnt put me to sleep.  the march is pretty much perfect though.  finale kind of a letdown

[aukhawk]

I'm unable to download the last three at the moment. I get an "authorize download" button and when I click it nothing happens.

You have to fill in the little form next to the button 

[MishaK]

There was no box when I loaded it on my mobile. Got the file now. Thanks.

[Sergeant Rock]

1 - C2  Easily my favorite (the others aren't even close). A  "classic" interpretation, sonically superb, and brilliantly executed by the orchestra. This is the famous version by the world's greatest Berlioz conductor, a reference recording for many. The performance builds gradually from a somewhat emotionally reticent beginning to a wild Finale with delicious detail (for example, the horn whoop at 52:02 I don't notice in the other versions).It's the only finalist to include both the cornet part in the waltz (beautifully integrated in the orchestral texture) and the repeat in the March (funereal and grim).

2 - C4  I enjoyed, along with the conductor, wallowing in the introduction and the way he phrases  the rest of movement. Mannered? Sure, but I like it. Beautifully paced waltz if a little sleepy. The March is simply too fast, too jolly; there is no sense that this is the prelude to an execution. Although the sound seems impressive at first there is a lack of detail that disturbs me (the low brass is buried in the mix). I like the Finale even though it doesn't generate the same level of thrills as C2, A4 and C5. The distant bells are atmospheric and just the way I like them.

3 - B2  The most passionate performance of the five? I still dislike the overly prominent cornet at the Ball. It's inelegant and obtrusive; its first appearance more suited to the race track than the ballroom. (Brian thinks it's elegant; astonishing how we could hear this so differently!) Hearing the march again, yeah, I like the initial pace (for me slower is always better) but I dislike the acceleration at the end. The Finale I find disjointed with its frequent changes of tempo, too fast sometimes and too slow, even lumbering, at other times. I appreciate what the conductor is trying to do but I'm not sure it works.

4 - A4  If I could disergard Berlioz's program (the conductor obviously has) I might rate this higher. On second thought, probably not. Sure it's exciting but also manic and exhausting with little contrast. One detail that really bugs me: the first timpani crescendo in the March (32:08) is really poorly done. One plus in its favor: he dashes off the Scene aux champs in record time 

5 - C5 This conductor was infamous for fiddling with scores, "improving" them. This really should be marketed as "Berlioz hyphen Conductor." I don't think it belongs among the finalists--it's too idiosyncratic--but it's certainly an interesting way to present the music and I actually like it (well, except he murders the March; I can't forgive him that).


Sarge 

[Karl Henning]

. . . I still dislike the overly prominent cornet at the Ball. It's inelegant and obtrusive; its first appearance more suited to the race track than the ballroom.

Made me think of this, of course:

http://www.youtube.com/v/jU0PdpqDB88

[Karl Henning]

. . . it's from a handicapper that's real sincere . . . .