BaL 5.02.11 Berlioz: Romeo and Juliet

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet is one of those hybrid works: a dramatic choral work, but regarded by the composer (repeatedly in his Memoirs) as a symphony.

Available versions include:-

Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Roma della RAI/Maazel (1958)

Philadelphia Orchestra/Riccardo Muti

London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Colin Davis

Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/Gardelli

Boston SO/ Munch

South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Baden, Europa Academy Chorus/Camberling

NBC Symphony Orchestra/Arturo Toscanini

Orchestre de Paris, Daniel Barenboim

Radio Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt/Eliahu Inbal

VPO/Davis

LSO (live)/Davis

Cleveland/Boulez

Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique/John Eliot Gardiner

LSO/Monteux

[vinteuil]

Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet is one of those hybrid works: a dramatic choral work, but regarded by the composer (repeatedly in his Memoirs) as a symphony.

Yes, hybrid. Which obviously baffled the people at Philips, who in their attractive 1997/98 Berlioz boxes include the Davis/LSO 1968 version twice over - in the 6 CD set of "Orchestral Works" and in the 9 CDset of "Sacred Music/Symphonic Dramas/Orchestral Songs"...

I like the Davis, but my current preference is Inbal. Now what we really need is a good historically informed performance...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Which obviously baffled the people at Philips, who in their attractive 1997/98 Berlioz boxes include the Davis/LSO 1968 version twice over - in the 6 CD set of "Orchestral Works" and in the 9 CDset of "Sacred Music/Symphonic Dramas/Orchestral Songs"...

So if you bought, as I did, the package containing the operas, choral works and orchestral works, you ended up with 2 identical recordings of Romeo & Juliet.

In the 1960s, the full version or R. & J. was rarely heard or recorded. We had to be content with "orchestral excerpts" or the Love Scene as an LP filler.

[ostuni]

David Nice is the reviewer for this BaL; I follow his blog (btw, a nicely affectionate tribute to Rosenkavalier on its birthday the other day), and here's his intoduction to the piece. I don't know the piece at all (except for the Queen Mab scherzo): I'm hoping this BaL will provide a useful way in.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

That is extremely interesting.

So there's a Boulez version.

I seem to recall too a VPO/Maazel version, but perhaps not.

[ostuni]

So there's a Boulez version.
I seem to recall too a VPO/Maazel version, but perhaps not.

The Boulez comes up on Amazon (Cleveland, DG), but not on Presto. The latter's first result shows a vintage Maazel from 1958, with the Rome RAI orch, on Andromeda (who they?). Spotify have quite a few (Boulez, Muti, Ozawa etc), including orchestral extracts with Berlin Phil/Maazel.

Embarrassing admission time: I said earlier 'I don't know this piece at all', but a browse through Presto's listing showed a disturbingly familiar cover: the Davis LSO Live issue from 2000. Yes, it's there in my shelves... I suppose I ought to stick it in the player some time!

[MickyD]

Yes, hybrid. Which obviously baffled the people at Philips, who in their attractive 1997/98 Berlioz boxes include the Davis/LSO 1968 version twice over - in the 6 CD set of "Orchestral Works" and in the 9 CDset of "Sacred Music/Symphonic Dramas/Orchestral Songs"...

I like the Davis, but my current preference is Inbal. Now what we really need is a good historically informed performance...

But there is one, Vinteuil - John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and The Monteverdi Choir on Philips from 1998!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've added the JEG version to the list (Post #1)

I don't think there's a Barbirolli version. His name appears because R & J is coupled with JB's version of "Nuits d'Été"

[Roehre]

But there is one, Vinteuil - John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and The Monteverdi Choir on Philips from 1998!

..and including some discarded fragments as well.

[ostuni]

I've added the JEG version to the list (Post #1)

I don't think there's a Barbirolli version. His name appears because R & J is coupled with JB's version of "Nuits d'Été"

You're absolutely right - too hasty reading of the sleeve on Spotify - it's Muti, of course.

[BBMmk2]

I do find this a really curious work!! Is that why I am not a great fan of it?

[rauschwerk]

David Cairns, in his biography of the composer, writes, "With all its riches, Berlioz's Dramatic Symphony remains one of his least performed works, a favourite more of musicians than of the public. Because its form still challenges our habits of listening, its genius is peculiarly dependent on idiomatic performance and sympathetic atmosphere." In other words, this piece suffers more than most from bad interpretation. I find the Dutoit recording (currently unavailable I believe) most satisfying and if I did not find it so hard to put aside 95 minutes at a stretch I should listen to this piece a good deal more often.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I have Dutoit on LP and LSO/ Monteux on CD, both highly rated in their time. A shock therefore to find neither so far mentioned as still available

[Ferretfancy]

Eine Alpensinfonie

That's a good list to choose from! One omission is the very first recording of the work that I heard, Pierre Monteux with the LSO, Regina Resnik, Andre Turp and David Ward, a Westminster recording available on World Record Club LPs and reissued on a nicely remastered CD set from Universal. A fine performance which still sounds great.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Ff
Thanks for that. I've added Monteux to the list.

LeMartinPecheur
Having done a quick check, I can't find the Dutoit on sale.