Hector Berlioz

[Mirror Image]

I have the fantastique recording, which I really like (I think Sarge may also approve). Haven't heard the other two yet, but the Nuits disc was a Gramophone recording of the month not too long ago. I personally would like to get those two.

Thanks, Greg. I'll definitely have to pick up the Fantastique recording at some point, but I'll probably get the other two recordings as well.

[Brian]

I have not heard the other two, but the 'fantastique' came up in our blind listening game and it seemed to be a collector's proposition. By that I mean, you already have 10 recordings and want to hear something really different from all of them. Certain people like Sarge and Greg really liked the novel approach, but certain others like myself really did not.

No matter what you may think of David Hurwitz, his comments on the CD strike me as being precisely descriptive and truthful:
"Conductor Robin Ticciati gets playing of near miraculous transparency and finesse from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. It's worth remembering in this connection that the orchestra of the Symphonie fantastique is actually pretty modest for the first three movements: no heavy brass, no percussion save timpani, the addition of harps only in the second movement, and so on. ...

"Less impressive is the finale, despite some pretty terrific woodwind playing at the start. Here, the problem isn't so much weight, but a lack of atmosphere and, well, insanity. The tubas and bassoons sound too smooth in the Dies irae parody, the bells too tinny, and Ticciati's pursuit of clarity seems to tame the music (and slow it down), despite the undoubted technical merit of the playing as such."

For this reason, I (Brian, not Hurwitz) am extremely excited to hear Ticciati's L'enfance, because that sounds like the kind of piece where his approach would thrive.

[Sergeant Rock]

I have the fantastique recording, which I really like (I think Sarge may also approve).

Yes, I like it too. I bought after hearing it in the Blind Comparison. But to be fair, the response was mixed. Here are the comments (C1 was Ticciati):

C1: only one word: "dull"

C1: I like the 1st movement, sweet and delicate and well-articulated.  The 5th movement goes well enough but is a bit civilised for me, good crack'd bell, well down in the mix (which after listening to 18 of these, is how I prefer it).

C1:  Opening of this clip is too laid back and dull. It picks up a bit of energy as it gets to the more exciting sections. But then it gets dull again. I am not a fan of this first excerpt. I sense no purpose or direction in it. On to the second clip - and no real change. Everything seems monochrome to me.   Ranking:  6

C1 places high because it has the best sound of the six and a performance that seems to be HIP influenced--which I like.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Apropos the Blind Comparisons: I miss them 


Sarge

[Brian]

Apropos the Blind Comparisons: I miss them 


Sarge

Me too! I've been thinking of doing a couple more "lightning round" games with short piano works by Chopin and Ravel, but I miss the big symphony type games. Maybe we can convince Neal to prepare a bunch of Tchaikovsky.

[Sergeant Rock]

Me too! I've been thinking of doing a couple more "lightning round" games with short piano works by Chopin and Ravel, but I miss the big symphony type games. Maybe we can convince Neal to prepare a bunch of Tchaikovsky.

MAD was going to continue Mahler...but I assume he just doesn't have the time now. If my upload speed weren't so pathetic, I'd volunteer to host more Mahler...or Bruckner.

Sarge

[mc ukrneal]

Me too! I've been thinking of doing a couple more "lightning round" games with short piano works by Chopin and Ravel, but I miss the big symphony type games. Maybe we can convince Neal to prepare a bunch of Tchaikovsky.

I would love to, but the past months have been crazy for me both personally and work wise. I was hoping the holidays would be better, but so far no let up.

[TheGSMoeller]

MAD was going to continue Mahler...but I assume he just doesn't have the time now. If my upload speed weren't so pathetic, I'd volunteer to host more Mahler...or Bruckner.

Sarge

I'll try to get one together after the holidays if nobody else gets one planned. I did enjoy the blinds quite a bit too. I have a plethora of Bruckner 3rd and 6th, is very tempting.

[Brian]

Haha, no pressure, Neal! Just signing you up for things without asking 

I'll try to get one together after the holidays if nobody else gets one planned. I did enjoy the blinds quite a bit too. I have a plethora of Bruckner 3rd and 6th, is very tempting.

I've only heard the 3rd once, although I loved it. The 6th, on the other hand, was one of my grad school "reading at the library" anthems. Nothing gets you pumped up for 17th-century sermons like the strains of Bruckner's 6th, after all...

[Sergeant Rock]

I'll try to get one together after the holidays if nobody else gets one planned. I did enjoy the blinds quite a bit too. I have a plethora of Bruckner 3rd and 6th, is very tempting.

A Bruckner 3 comparison would be super (the Third's my favorite of the eleven). I'd love to see the group Top 5. I have 28 versions. If nothing else, I could contribute a few performances you might not have. But, it might not be very popular. 3 and 6 only garnered one vote each in the Bruckner poll. 7, 8 and 9 just overwhelm the others.


Sarge

[Brian]

A Bruckner 3 comparison would be super (the Third's my favorite of the eleven). I'd love to see the group Top 5. I have 28 versions. If nothing else, I could contribute a few performances you might not have. But, it might not be very popular. 3 and 6 only garnered one vote each in the Bruckner poll. 7, 8 and 9 just overwhelm the others.


Sarge

Honestly, 3 and 6 would be far more conducive to comparison games than 7, 8, or 9. Or at least, that's true for me. With 7, I would be docking huge amounts of points from any performance of the adagio that includes percussion, which is irrational, unfair, cruel, and totally deserved.  With 8, meanwhile, the adagio's again the problem because I'd just go "It's not as slow as Celi." for every recording except Celi.

Actually Celi poses an interesting problem for the Bruckner game because there's no anonymizing him. It would be like "Bruckner Blind Listening Game! 23 unknown recordings and Celi."

[Sergeant Rock]

Actually Celi poses an interesting problem for the Bruckner game because there's no anonymizing him. It would be like "Bruckner Blind Listening Game! 23 unknown recordings and Celi."

Probably true    But a few conductors might fool the crowd into thinking Celi: some Klemperer performances, Peter Jan Marthé (a Celi disciple)...Colin Davis.

Sarge

[Brahmsian]

With 7, I would be docking huge amounts of points from any performance of the adagio that includes percussion, which is irrational, unfair, cruel, and totally deserved.

And I would be the opposite.  I'd be docking huge points for any that omitted the percussion. 

[Karl Henning]

Another good recording of L'enfance du Christ cannot be at all a bad thing!

[TheGSMoeller]

Just noticed that Ticciati's recording of Christ is with the Swedish SO. Interesting switch to go with chamber group for Fantastique and symphony orchestra with Christ.

Another good recording of L'enfance du Christ cannot be at all a bad thing!

+1

[Brian]

I'm now listening to the Ticciati L'enfance. Remember, this is only the third time I've heard the work, so I won't be an expert. But Yann Beuron, narrator to Colin Davis (LSO Live), returns to narrate, and Veronique Gens (the marvelous soprano who previously recorded this with Herreweghe) is back too, so the vocal cast is all-star.

[Karl Henning]

I'm now listening to the Ticciati L'enfance. Remember, this is only the third time I've heard the work, so I won't be an expert. But Yann Beuron, narrator to Colin Davis (LSO Live), returns to narrate, and Veronique Gens (the marvelous soprano who previously recorded this with Herreweghe) is back too, so the vocal cast is all-star.

I'm certainly enjoying the snippets.

[TheGSMoeller]

I'm now listening to the Ticciati L'enfance. Remember, this is only the third time I've heard the work, so I won't be an expert. But Yann Beuron, narrator to Colin Davis (LSO Live), returns to narrate, and Veronique Gens (the marvelous soprano who previously recorded this with Herreweghe) is back too, so the vocal cast is all-star.

I'm certainly enjoying the snippets.

Listening to a little myself on Naxos ML. The movements I chose seem quite speedy compared to other performances I've heard. But I agree, sounds very nice. Would love to hear it in a little better quality.

[knight66]

My review of the. Les Nuits d'ete disc.


http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,555.msg716473/topicseen.html#msg716473

Mike

[Karl Henning]

What a pleasure to read that review, Mike.